Florence Nightingale at your Service, Viking
by ds862
Summary: When Eric succumbs to a rare vampire illness, he must rely on Sookie to care for him. Spoilers for Books 1-8: Takes place before Book 9
1. Chapter 1

Title: "Florence Nightingale at Your Service, Viking"

Summary: When Eric succumbs to a rare vampire illness, he must rely on Sookie to care for him.

Rating: M (though mostly for last chapter)

Pairing: Eric & Sookie

Disclaimer: The talented Charlaine Harris is the rightful owner and creator of this fabulous world of hers. I'm just traipsing through her backyard for a while...

Author's note: I've never written a fan fic before so please be kind and write reviews if you like it (and if you hate it, I'm sorry!). Thanks!

**Chapter 1**

I sagged in the back door dragging my sneakers on the linoleum of my kitchen. I was truly and utterly exhausted. Holly's son Cody was sick and had to take him to see a doctor so Sam had me pull a double shift to cover. I knew I could've said no, but when Sam approached me with those puppy dog (ha-ha) eyes to ask if I could stay, I just couldn't turn him down. The vague '_pleasepleasepleasecan'tgetanyoneelsepleasestay' _stream coming from inside Sam's head didn't help my resolve either. After all, I could use the money, and honestly, what else did I have to do on a Friday night other than rest my weary feet? As I thought of my reasons for accepting Holly's shift, the thought of my current freedom from men sent a small wave of loneliness through my body before I stamped it down. This was no pity party. I have a house, two good roommates who double as friends and a great boss who could be my best friend—I was a lucky girl. Aaand, not to mention the fact that I was an independent woman, gosh darn it! I shouldn't _need _a man to make me happy!

My internal chastising did the trick… almost… and I went back to my previous state of 'weary but happy to be home,' a whole busy-Friday-night-shift of tips the richer.

"Hi Roomie!" called Amelia cheerfully from the living room.

"Hey Amelia!" I responded, trying (almost successfully, I thought) to match her cheer.

"I made a chicken pie and left it on the stove for you! I figured you'd be hungry when you got home so I left it out!" my dear, sweet, wonderful roommate Amelia called again. I smiled, thinking of the comfort a warm pie with chicken, peas, carrots, onions, and delicious gravy inside offered.

"Have I ever mentioned how much I love you, Amelia?" I called back as I cut a piece for myself and scooted the plate in the microwave to warm.

"Not nearly often enough, Sookie, but remember I told you that I go for the dark and skinny ones!" Amelia called back, laughing.

I chuckled too, thinking of her last two relationships. I walked towards the living room and leaned on the doorway leading from the kitchen, crossing my arms and smiling. "There's nothing dark about Pam, except the fact that she's a _vampire_, and there's CERTAINLY nothing skinny about Tray!" I countered, thinking of the magnolia skinned, light-blonde-haired vampire and the mass of solid muscle that comprised the Were.

"Alright, you got me. I made exceptions in both of those cases. So sue me! Speaking of Tray, he's actually going to be over in about half an hour. We're going to hang out since I'll be in New Orleans for the next week. Hope you don't mind me leaving you alone? I know Octavia's out in Shreveport with her nieces…" Amelia looked at me with eyes (and thoughts) hopeful that I wouldn't mind, and that if I did, I'd keep quiet about it.

"Of course, Amelia!" I said quickly, forcing a smile. It wasn't her job to babysit me or feel bad that my man status bar was currently reading "Vacant". "You have fun with Tray, and tell him I said 'Hi'. I'll be just fine reading my new book. I'll miss you next week though!" I said, trying to be as chipper as I could be, though slightly disappointed about not being able to relax with some girl time with my witchy friend. It will have to be Sookie-time instead. I saw a relaxing bath and a mani-pedi in my near future. That would be just fine indeed.

"I'll miss you too, Sookie!" Amelia exclaimed, relieved. "I'll be back next Saturday. I hope all the construction I've been paying for to fix my apartment is over soon. Hurricanes suck." She continued, her happy face turning into a pout.

"They sure do-- good luck with all that if I don't see you tomorrow." I said, turning to get my pie out of the microwave. I grabbed a fork, sprinkled some salt on the plate and went in to plop in an easy chair next to the sofa Amelia was seated on. The warm pie was heavenly and exactly what I didn't know I wanted, and putting my feet over the side of the easy chair did wonders in itself to soothe the tender soles. "Pie's great, by the way."

Amelia looked back up from her … spellbook? ... and smiled. "Thanks—I'm glad you like it. Gotta do something with all the leftover chicken, carrots and onions from the chicken soup!"

Amelia had gotten a nasty cold a few days back, and made a big pot of chicken soup that we all enjoyed immensely, even though only Amelia was sick. I mused on how long it had been since I had gotten sick and realized it was quite a while. Beaten up? Sure. Shot? Yup. Staked? Oh yeah. But sick? I was proud to say not. I quickly decided to go with one of Gran's many sayings and "Not look a gift horse in the mouth." I'll take that gift horse and keep it forever—I loathed being sick.

There was a knock on the back door and Amelia sprang up to answer it. She lithely glided to the back door and let in Tray, who looked truly happy to see her. Amelia ran back into the room and grabbed her light jacket that she had left on the couch and turned to give me a quick hug. I put the now empty plate down on the coffee table and returned her hug. We pulled away smiling.

"Have fun with Tray! Safe trip tomorrow and back!" I said, knowing I'd probably still be asleep when she left early in the morning.

Amelia smiled back. "Thanks Sookie! See you in a week!" She had kind of a sad smile on her face, and I couldn't help but let down my firm guard I kept up when I was around Amelia, curious to see what had her down. Her thoughts were like a megaphone in my head most of the time so it was typically a struggle not to answer her thoughts rather than her words.

…_hope Eric calls her they have to get their shit straightened out stupid vampire jerking around Sookie all alone in the house maybe tonight--_ and I cut her off by putting my shields up, not wanting to hear the rest of it.

"I'll be _fine,_ Amelia. Even if the 'stupid vampire' _doesn't _call me, I'm good." I gave her a forced reassuring smile and winked for good measure.

Amelia looked a little abashed and looked at her feet, fidgeting. "Man Sook, I know I should remember by now that you can do that but I keep forgetting. Sorry I thought about it… it's just … you guys gotta work your issues out. I see how sometimes you'll be fine and then all of a sudden you're angry and stomping around the house for no good reason. I mean, you threw your book at me last week when I asked you to pass me the remote control, for chrissakes! Thank god it wasn't your Twilight hardcover... that thing would have knocked me unconscious!" she said with a small smile, trying to lighten the mood. That book was a hoot, like Buffy, with its sparkly, near-invincible vampires, though I certainly felt a certain compassion for Edward and his own telepathic abilities, I'll tell you that. I've been privy to way too many inappropriate thoughts my whole life to consider living in a whole house full of coupled-off horny vampires like he did. If I could hear vampire thoughts, of course. Which I can't. For the most part. Shh.

I sighed. I knew she was right and wouldn't bother denying it. "Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. Eric and I... well... we'll figure it out eventually. He's been busy with the new King of Louisiana and I'm sure he doesn't have time to worry about some silly human girl..." I thought it sounded weak at best, but it'd have to do. No purpose getting angry all over again over Eric's perpetual absence. When he wants to sort things out, we will. And I won't beg.

"I'm really sorry about throwing that book at you, though… I still haven't the foggiest idea why I did that! I was fine and reading, and all of a sudden I was in a fury and throwing things. Very strange…." I caught myself rambling, stuck in my head. I shook my head and moved on. "Anyhow, I promise, I'll try to fix things as best I can. Don't keep Tray waiting—have fun!" I said, meeting Amelia's eyes.

"Thanks Sookie...good luck getting things… settled. See you soon!" She gave me a 100-watt smile and with that, my quirky roommate was gone. I heard the engine of Tray's truck roar to life and heard the gravel spill from underneath the tires as he pulled out of the driveway.

And silence.

I was deciding whether I wanted to take a bath or read my book first for a bit when the phone rang. I got up to answer it, and found it was the vampire I'd consider the closest thing to a girlfriend as I'd ever have among the group.

"Hi Pam!" I said, trying to convey my happiness at hearing her voice.

"Hello, my telepathic friend. How are you this evening?" She asked in a genial sort of tone.

"Oh, just fine. Just relaxing after a double shift. What's up?" I asked, now curious for the reason for this phone call. Although I'd consider Pam to be my friend, I couldn't ever recall the vampire calling without a specific purpose in mind.

"I was calling to inquire as to your plans tonight." Pam said, getting right to the point.

"Oh... well, uh, I was just planning to relax and take shower and read a little bit. I'm pretty tired." I said honestly. I wish I could say I had something exciting that I planned to do to show that I didn't need Eric around in order to have a good time, but I couldn't lie to Pam. She'd know. She _always_ knows. Damn vampires.

"Very well. That's all. Enjoy your evening!" Pam said with a smile in her voice, putting an end to the conversation.

"What, Pam? Why— " and the connection ended with a 'click'. Pam hung up on me! That was an ominous phone call and I wondered what to expect. If Pam hadn't sound so upbeat I might have actually been nervous, but I threw my hands up mentally and (in the vein of _My Cousin Vinny, _which I had watched the previous night) I thought, '_What are you gonna do?'_ Take a bath. THAT'S what this girl's gonna do.

I grabbed my latest romance novel and went into the bathroom. I shucked my Merlotte's uniform, threw them in the hamper and turned on the hot water after plugging the tub. I picked out a bottle of lavender scented soap for a bubble bath and squeezed some into the running water. The scent filled the room along with the steam from the hot water. Soon enough, I was lowering myself into the heavenly warmth of the hot water, relieving all the aches in my back and shoulders from carrying around heavy trays all day and in my feet from standing on them from morning 'til night. I pulled my hair out of the high ponytail I had it harnessed back in and relaxed fully as my hair spilled onto my shoulders and the tips into the water. I tilted my head back to get my hair wet. After I washed my hair and shaved and scrubbed my body, I dried off my hands with a little hand towel I had near the tub and reached for my book to read.

I had gotten about two chapters into my book—the heroine had just met the gorgeous hunk that would in later chapters, undoubtedly, be entertaining her with his "sculpted abs" and "burgeoning manhood"—when I felt a wave of calm and contentment pass over me. I was confused for a moment, because I thought I was _already _pretty calm and content, and then realization hit me.

Eric was here.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: "Florence Nightingale at Your Service, Viking"

Summary: When Eric succumbs to a rare vampire illness, he must rely on Sookie to care for him.

Rating: M (though mostly for last chapter)

Pairing: Eric & Sookie

Disclaimer: The talented Charlaine Harris is the rightful owner and creator of this fabulous world of hers. I'm just traipsing through her backyard for a while...

**Chapter 2**

I felt excitement, anticipation, happiness, and ..anxiety? coming through the bond stronger than I have felt in the last few weeks and I knew my assessment was right. The Viking was here.

Just as I came to that conclusion, I heard a loud knock at the door, followed by a confident voice taunting me. "It is Eric! ….Come let me in, my lover!"

Oh _hell_.

I grumbled to myself about having to jump out of the cooling tub in such an ungraceful way, but at the same time I couldn't deny my excitement to see him again. I tossed the book on the floor and carefully stepped out. I quickly toweled myself off and wrapped the fluffy white towel around me, trying to secure the top of the towel together as best I could. Knowing my hair would not be detangled in any short amount of time, I threw the whole wet, tangled mess up into another fluffy white towel wrapped around my head like a turban. At the very least, I still had my tan thanks to the tanning bed in the back of the video rental store which was set off nicely by the stark white of the towels. Oh well. _He's seen it all before, _I reminded myself, and padded out to the front door to let Eric in.

When I opened the door, Eric's eyes widened as he scanned me appreciatively from head to wet toe. A strong wave of lust nearly bowled me over in that instant. "Ohhh, my LOVER. You look positively _delicious_… I obviously have been blessed by the gods with good timing this evening to catch you as you are wet and naked." he waggled his eyebrows and smiled, showing the teensiest bit of fang.

I automatically secured my towel closed a bit tighter in response to his words as I feared the surge of heat in my body in response to seeing his lovely face and his lust-laced words may very well steam the cloth off of me. I had such conflicting emotions in me that I had no idea which to act on. I was annoyed at Eric's assuming attitude (though why I was surprised, I couldn't tell you), I was angry at his prolonged absence, I was grudgingly happy to see him, and, infuriatingly, I couldn't truly tell you if all of these feelings belonged to me! Worst of all, his presence, voice, and words together had just caused my overall being to calm and, conversely, the region between my legs to ignite in flames of lust.

I settled for my typical exasperation. I scowled at him. "Oh, just come in, Eric." I stood aside with one hand across my chest, allowing him to gracefully glide past me, keeping his eyes locked on me as he entered.

I turned and closed the door and when I turned back to the living room I found that Eric had silently approached and now had his chest about 6 inches from my face. I gasped and jumped a little in surprise at his sudden proximity. I craned my neck up at his face and took a step backwards, my back hitting the front door. "Jesus, Eric! Could you just _try_ to make a little noise when you move so you don't scare this human to death, _please?_"

He laughed and gave me a bright smile, leaned in, putting his hands on my shoulders and placing a tender kiss on my cheek. "I am very sorry to have startled you, dear one. What ever can I do to make it up to you?" He winked. My heart thumped loudly against my rib cage as I was caught in his gaze for a minute, still clutching my towel to my body, like a deer in headlights. Eric's hair was free flowing over his shoulders and he was wearing a sea green figure-hugging sweater that displayed the cut of every muscle and charcoal pants that showcased my very favorite of his _assets_. He looked every bit the sex god that I knew from personal experience that he was. I knew if I was going to have the resolve to refrain from dropping my towel on the floor right here and jumping this vampire, I had to extricate myself from this position. _Immediately._

I wriggled free from his grasp and ducked under his arm, heading towards the kitchen. I turned, crossing my arms across my chest and attempted to look cross while at the same time not forgetting my manners. "Eric, can I get you a blood? I have to run back into the bedroom and put something on."

"You know," he smirked, "it is not necessary to clothe yourself, but I will take you up on your offer of Trueblood, thank you."

I turned into the kitchen and grabbed a True Blood out of the refrigerator, popping it into the microwave and waiting impatiently for it to heat so I could go clothe myself. _At least with clothes on_, I thought to myself,_ I'll be less tempted to jump him as he sits on my couch to talk about whatever he's here to talk about. _ I willed myself not to think of the insignificant barrier that clothing in reality posed when matched to vampire strength. I personally have lost many a good bra to the likes of impatient and "in the mood" vampires and I'd like to keep my pajamas intact. The microwave dinged and I extracted the warmed blood, shaking it and popping the top off the bottle to bring to Eric.

He stood by my fireplace, which now had a small fire going in it, much to my delight. I looked up at him and handed him the bottle.

"Thank you, Sookie," he said, taking a swig.

"You're welcome, Eric. Thanks for building a fire! It is starting to get cold out…" I stopped talking as I noticed that he was gazing me up and down. I tugged at the bottom of the towel and I felt a little self-conscious under his gaze.

He licked his lips. "Lover, go get comfortable in your sleep clothes. I have good news to share with you this evening. I will wait in here by the fire."

"Okey dokey, Eric." I said, briskly walking into my bedroom, closing the door, and sitting on my bed. I breathed deeply to regain some semblance of control and got up to pull on a blue lace bra and underwear and that new sleep set from Claudine that she had procured from her job at Dillard's. It was a pretty, soft cotton wide leg lounge pant with a midnight blue and white floral decoration and a matching midnight laced blue cami that was quite comfortable and looked good on me, if I do say so myself.

I hesitantly took the towel off my head, grabbed my hairbrush, and tried to get as many tangles as I could out in a short amount of time. I winced as I inadvertently pulled a few hairs out at the root and decided Eric was just going to have to talk to me as I slowly brushed out my hair. Tough luck.

I thrust my feet into my fluffy blue slippers and joined Eric in the living room. Eric appeared to be in "downtime" staring at the fire, motionless and unblinking. As soon as I approached he snapped back into the present and stood.

"So what was this good news you had for me?" I asked as I took a seat in the opposite corner of the same couch he stood near and continued to brush my hair.

"Yes, indeed I do." He sat down on the couch facing me in the opposite corner of the couch, with one ankle resting on the knee of the other leg and an arm slung over the back of the couch. He watched the movements of my hand brushing my hair. I thought he might ask for the brush to take up the job he had seen Bill do on previous occasions, but he resisted. Although having your hair brushed is a wonderful pleasure, I was glad he didn't because I still associated the act with Bill, and thinking of him just made me melancholy.

"Felipe de Castro has decided to honor the late Queen's debt to you, including interest for the time that the payment remained in limbo." Eric drew an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to me.

My heart sang—this will give me that cushion I've so desired as of late—to allow me to pay my property taxes and my food bill and my car and house insurance and anything else that comes along. I was so grateful. When I opened the envelope and looked at the $30,000 figure in the line to the right, I almost choked. He had doubled my negotiated price! I glowed at the check, looked up to Eric, and in my happiness, my self control flew out the window and I threw my arms around his neck, kissing the stunned vampire's lips.

I pulled my head back, instantly blushing after realizing my sudden movement. "Thank you for getting this for me. I'm sure it put you in an awkward position with the king to feel like you had to ask him for my money."

Eric paused, possibly working out phrasing of his answer. "Awkward or not, you are in my retinue and I am therefore responsible to ensure that the contracts that involve you are fulfilled to the terms of the agreement. Felipe owes you his life and many other vampires owe their lives to you as well for your service in Rhodes. The least we can do is paying you the promised amount for the service you rendered. I believe this is also why Felipe chose to include such a…generous… interest sum."

I shifted back to my corner of the couch and looked at him. "You _know_ how I feel when you go on about your retinue and what have you," I said, frowning slightly.

"Ah yes, lover. You are an 'independent woman'." He started, chuckling. I crossed my arms and huffed at his patronizing tone. "However, I was just explaining my role in the transaction. If, however, you _wanted _to show me your appreciation in other ways," he leered at me, "I would be more than willing to accept any shows of gratitude you deem appropriate…" He looked me up and down and grinned, again showing a little fang, which left nothing ambiguous about his intended message.

I unfolded my arms, blushing again. "Ahh, no Eric. I think I've expressed my appreciation enough for the moment."

He slowly moved his body closer to mine on the couch. I leaned back against the arm of the couch to try to maintain some distance.

"Very well. Then perhaps in lieu of any said 'shows of gratitude' at this point in time, you would consider joining me for dinner tomorrow night? Around 8 o'clock? Pam informs me that human women desire to go on _dates_ when men pursue them…" Eric said the word "dates" with an air of amusement.

I thought for a moment about whether I wanted to make that step, and sighed. For all the game I talked about being an 'independent woman' and not needing any 'stupid vampire' to call me, I knew deep down that it hurt to have been seemingly cast aside by this very vampire so completely for the last few weeks, and to have been on the receiving end of a foul-tempered Viking for the last few months before he recalled our time together himself.

Trying to put this calmly into words, I instead, neither eloquently nor calmly, blurted out, "Where have you been? It's been weeks! I haven't heard from you since the takeover! Nothing! What do you think I am, Eric? Some whore you can just pick up when you're bored?" I ended my short tirade, shaking slightly, instantly regretting my raising my voice after seeing the frosty look on Eric's face.

He leaned back surveying me, the grin on his face gone, replaced by a cold vampire stare. He put the tips of his fingers steepled together briefly. The silence was finally broken by Eric who appeared to give in to whatever mental battle was ensuing in his brain, sighing as he put his hands down. "I have been busy convincing the King of Nevada, now our king, that I can be trusted enough to allow me to live and retain my sheriff position. I have also been in a state of constant concern for the lives and positions of those in my contingency, including you. I have not wanted to call attention to our bond because, as I recall, you prefer to stay on the periphery of the vampire world and I'd like to keep you there for as long as I possibly can. It was a necessary inconvenience. I can assure you, I have been… frustrated… with being unable to contact you as well."

_Well, that wasn't exactly an apology_, I huffed. But then I thought of my mood for the last few weeks, and realized that this may at the root of it. If that's the case, then I already knew from personal experience, _all too personal experience_, that his disposition has been less than favorable recently.

"Eric," I said tentatively, "Why on earth did I throw a book at Amelia last week?"

At this Eric's stern face broke and he actually chuckled a little bit. "I am sorry, lover. I have been trying to suppress the bond temporarily while I have been under such stress, but apparently after a particularly tense evening with Victor making thinly veiled threats at me, my hold on the bond slipped and you felt my… displeasure."

I crossed my arms. "Yeah, well, Amelia's _head_ almost felt your displeasure, too." I said with a grim expression, though the corner of my mouth may have twitched.

The twitch was not lost on Eric. "Well then, please convey my apologies to your housemate and remind me to pay my respects to her for having to put up with my mood channeled through you," and looked up through his lashes to give me a small smile.

"You can tell her yourself, and you'll just have to remember." I said stubbornly, though unsure where this conversation was going to go from here.

"Very well. Now, back to much more important issues. Will you allow me to take you out to dinner tomorrow evening? As a way to _begin_ to make up to you my prolonged but necessary absence?"

I tried to come up with a counterargument, but I came up empty. Looking into his eyes, I knew I could not deny that I had _some_ kind of feelings for this person sharing the couch with me. I just had to hold my nose, close my eyes and take the plunge.

"Alright, Eric. Fine. It's a date. What should I wear?" I said, giving him a small smile.

He was pleased, and his happiness flowed through our bond and filled me down to my toes. I couldn't help but smile a bigger smile in response to his happiness. "Excellent! Wear something beautiful and sexy for me, lover, and I shall do the same for you."

I rolled my eyes. "Eric, you know what I mean. What's the dress code of the place you're takin' me?"

"The restaurant I will be taking you to is a very elegant establishment and its patrons typically dress accordingly. A gown is not necessary, though."

I took that to mean to wear a dress of some kind that came to the knee. I thought about what I had at my disposal but decided I'd figure that out at a later point. Most of my nice clothes were destroyed in Rhodes, I thought dismally, so I hoped it wouldn't be a problem. All of a sudden I was hit with the feeling of exhaustion that I had escaped from during my brief respite in the bath and in Eric's company. I couldn't suppress the gigantic yawn that overtook me as I looked at the clock. 2:40 am. No wonder I was so tired. And I had to work tomorrow morning. Damn.

He turned to follow my gaze and promptly stood up. "You are tired, dear Sookie. I will leave you to sleep and I shall see you tomorrow." I followed suit and walked with him to the door and opened it for him. I glanced outside, saw his gleaming red corvette sitting in the driveway in front of the house and looked back to him, expecting him to leave. Suddenly he had my face in both his hands and kissed me deeply, catching me completely off guard. He employed all of his centuries of kissing experience, the result of which making me weak in the knees. The throbbing in my core started again despite my exhaustion and he pulled back from me, looking me in the eyes and smiling knowingly at me as I trembled. He was thoroughly pleased with himself in his ability to so influence my desire. Stupid, cocky Viking.

Without another word, he smiled at me and was out the door and gone, his car peeling out down the driveway. I huffed, thinking such driving would ruin the beautiful gravel of my driveway and then laughed at the thought. Since Eric had been the one to give me said beautiful driveway, if he wanted to ruin it, I guess he could. I knew if he did he'd just replace it again anyhow.

I closed and locked the door and drifted into my bedroom. The fire was mostly out and I crawled under the covers of my high, old bed, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off my chest that I never knew was there. Before I had time to consider this, I had drifted off to sleep.

A/N— As I said in my intro, this is my first crack at fanfiction! Please leave reviews if you like it along the way, and _please _be kind if you don't!  I appreciate it! I've been working on this for a while and it's now or never to release it since Dead and Gone comes out May 5th! (Yippee!)


	3. Chapter 3

Title: "Florence Nightingale at Your Service, Viking"

Summary: When Eric succumbs to a rare vampire illness, he must rely on Sookie to care for him.

Rating: M (though mostly for last chapter)

Pairing: Eric & Sookie

Disclaimer: The talented Charlaine Harris is the rightful owner and creator of this fabulous world of hers. I'm just traipsing through her backyard for a while...

**Chapter 3**

I awoke to my alarm blasting Carrie Underwood singing about vandalizing some cheating lover's car, and my fuzzy mind recalled the events of the previous night's events. I smiled to myself and reflected on the good mood that just pervaded my being. I hardly _ever_ felt this happy before my morning coffee. Huh.

I left the music blaring from my alarm clock on as I hopped out of bed, put my slippers on and sang along as I went into the kitchen and loaded the coffee pot with the euphoric smelling coffee grounds and flipped the switch to start the perking. I was glad that I had the house to myself since, though I was a lot of things, a good singer was not one of them, but the lighthearted feeling I woke up with enticed me into singing along with the country pop star.

I went back into my room, changed out of my beautiful pajamas and slipped on a pair of pretty lace underwear and matching bra. Pretty underwear under my bar uniform somehow always made me feel sexy even if I wasn't in a great mood, and right now I _was _so it made me doubly happy_._ I donned a pair of black slacks and a long sleeved Merlotte's shirt, went into the bathroom, tended to my needs, and fixed my hair in a tight ponytail on the top of my head. I swiped my Nikes from the bathroom and put them on over socks. I put on my favorite pink lip gloss and a little eye makeup, going with my good mood, and practically skipped into the kitchen to put some coffee in a travel mug.

_What was my deal? _I thought. Amelia would have rolled her eyes at my denial that a date with Eric could influence my mood like this, and I sighed. I thought about tonight and realized Eric was going to want to have that "talk" tonight about the events that went on while he was under Hallow's spell and that dampened my mood slightly. _What did I want from Eric? _I thought. _I had to figure it out before tonight. _I decided I would contemplate it while I worked and headed out to my car to go to Merlotte's.

Merlotte's was a typical Saturday afternoon crowd, with people seeking to get out into the brisk but sunny weather and socialize with other townsfolk showing up to the bar. I served cheeseburgers Lafayette, chicken baskets, beer and sweet tea to the lunch crowd and made small talk with the patrons. My chipper mood did not go unnoticed by Sam, who seemed to have a 6th sense that detected when something is "up" with me. I would catch him sneaking inquisitive looks at me throughout the day as I practically skipped around the bar. He was just going to have to stay curious. I didn't need his negative attitude towards Eric to put a damper on my mood. I'm happy, damn it, and I'm going to stay that way.

The only hesitation I had was when my mind flashed to our impending "talk", which was enough to make my stomach fall to my toes whenever I thought about it. If you asked me honestly, and I answered you honestly, I'd say that I would definitely be excited to see that hunk of a Viking in my bedroom again, or maybe even in my shower. Hell, e_specially_ in my shower. Let's just say that when you're on the earth for over 1000 years, you tend to pick up a few tips on how to please a woman. And please _me_ he did—in every room in my house.

I smiled as I thought about those blessed few days of uncomplicated romance with a beautiful man who cared for me. Part of me longed for that Eric, _my_ Eric, back, but a little corner of my brain reminded me that during that time, I missed the….grandeur and zeal for life that the real Eric effortlessly exudes through every pore of his body. If I wanted to be with the only Eric that existed now, the real Eric, than I'd have to take the _whole_ package—the sex god with a beautiful body, fantastic sense of humor and mischief, along with all the vampire shit (pardon my language, but for the amount of times I've been beat up, staked, shot, and what have you, I reserve the right to be a little bitter) that goes along with being the most powerful Sheriff in the state. And not to mention the machismo attitude towards me and my life that results from being born and raised some 1000 years ago.

"What's up, cher?" said Sam as I came by the bar to give him a drink order. "You seem to be in a better mood than I've seen in you in a while."

"What, Sam? A girl can't just wake up in a good mood once in a while?" I smiled innocently at Sam, knowing directly from Sam's brain that he wasn't buying it. Oh well.

"Fine, Sam. I'll tell you but you have to promise not to ruin my good mood." I looked imploringly at my best friend, whose opinion did mean a lot to me, even though it didn't determine my life.

Sam gave me an exasperated look and crossed his arms.

I sighed. "Eric came by last night and we're going on a date tonight. Happy?" I said with a defiant look, almost daring him to say something bad about me going out with Eric.

Now it was Sam's turn to sigh. He unfolded his arms and he went back to absently wiping down a glass. "Sookie, you know how I feel about vampires in general, especially vampire politics. And Eric is probably one of the most politically entrenched vampires in a 10,000 mile radius, at least."

I scowled at him but he held his hand up to halt my counterargument he knew was coming.

"Wait, Sook, let me finish. _But_— " he said, looking at me, momentarily annoyed I jumped to conclusions before he finished what he was saying. "I can tell you care for him, and as much as I hate to admit it, he definitely cares for you too. If that's what you want, I guess it's good you're working things out with Eric." He gave me a small smile, looking back up at me.

I was shocked at his little speech, and once again, I felt as if another weight was lifting from me. Who knew my body was a power-gym of feelings?

I scooted around the bar and took Sam in a hug, surprising him. I pulled back.

"Thanks Sam. I really appreciate your support and you really are a great friend. I know I told you once that it matters to me that you approve of who I'm with, and I just want to say I appreciate it." I gave him a big smile.

"Alright then. Now go back out there and take care of your tables before I have to get all boss-man on your ass," he said lightly, smiling and lightly swatting me with the dishtowel he was now drying the glass with.

I laughed and pushed his shoulder before I ran back out to the floor to take care of my tables. The rest of the day went by in a blur, and as I grabbed my purse from Sam's office, Sam looked up from the paperwork he was working on.

"Have fun tonight, Sookie. If you need anything, though, don't hesitate to call me, 'kay?"

"Thanks again Sam. You're great. Bye!" And with that, I spun and left. I felt a twinge of regret that I couldn't love Sam like I may Eric. Life would certainly be simpler, with the prospect of babies and growing old with someone, but… I just couldn't fool my heart.

I got in my car and headed up Hummingbird drive towards my home for my date with Eric. That's when the nerves kicked in.

A/N –Thanks for reading! Please leave reviews if you like what you read!


	4. Chapter 4

Title: "Florence Nightingale at Your Service, Viking"

Summary: When Eric succumbs to a rare vampire illness, he must rely on Sookie to care for him.

Rating: M (though mostly for last chapter)

Pairing: Eric & Sookie

Disclaimer: The talented Charlaine Harris is the rightful owner and creator of this fabulous world of hers. I'm just traipsing through her backyard for a while...

**Chapter 4**

I arrived home around 6, giving me plenty of time to figure out what I was going to wear and get myself prepared. I decided the biggest obstacle of the next couple hours would be to ransack my closet to determine my options of dress. I threw open my closet doors and pulled out any dress that looked like it had a remote chance of "working" for the evening and threw them on my bed. I saw the white dress with the red flowers on it that I wore to Fangtasia the very first time I met Eric, but that was way too short. If this was a really classy place, a dress ending several inches above my knee wouldn't do. I rummaged through the pile, growing more and more exasperated at my lack of choices. They were mostly all too old and therefore either outdated looking or did not fit anymore. A few had blood stains on them which would just be tacky no matter what might come to us later in the evening. I made a mental note to splurge on the cleaners to see if they could rid the garments of the spots.

Just as I was starting to panic, I heard a "_pop_" sound behind me and I whipped around to see my statuesque fairy godmother, beaming at me and looking stunning in a violet wrap dress still bearing a Dillard's nametag pinned to it.

"Claudine!" I exclaimed, both excited to see my friend and flabbergasted to see a garment bag in her hand.

"Sookie!" She exclaimed back, taking me in a big hug and giving me a kiss on my cheek. I giggled to myself that it was good I still had to take a shower or else Eric and I might not even make it out the front door before he took me over the back of the couch. I throbbed as I thought of it, but shook myself out of the moment a few seconds later. I looked back to Claudine, who at that instant had an amused look on her face, one eyebrow cocked. I blushed, realizing that she caught the change in my "mood".

"Excited for the evening already, are we?" she said giggling, eyebrow still raised in question.

"Claudine, cut it out…" I said, lightly swatting her shoulder and smiling genuinely at her. "What's that?" I asked, entirely too hopeful as I eyed the garment bag on her fingertip.

"This is your dress for your _date_ tonight!" Claudine said confidently, unzipping the garment bag and drawing out a gorgeous cranberry satin dress with little cap sleeves and a deep plunging sweetheart neckline. Classy, but oh-so sexy. I fell in love with it immediately, and flung my arms around Claudine again.

"It's _gorgeous _Claudine! But you really shouldn't have!" I said as I looked back wistfully at the beautiful dress still perched on one of Claudine's long, elegant fingers. I shouldn't accept such an obviously extravagant gift for no real reason, but boy was it tempting.

"Of course I should have. No arguments. It makes me happy to help. Try it on." Claudine said, handing me the garment bag and shooing me into the bathroom.

I quickly threw off my clothes and crossed my fingers as I donned the dress, reciting the personal mantra of "Please let it fit! Please let it fit!" I sighed a breath of relief when, thank the Lord (and I did!), it fit perfectly. In my excitement, I sprang out of the bathroom to allow Claudine to help me zip up the back so I could see what it looked like since I didn't have a full length mirror in the bathroom.

"Oh, Sookie! It looks fantastic!" Claudine exclaimed, moving over to me to zip up the back of my dress. I smiled in anticipation.

The back went down in a V to just above my bra line, which relieved me immensely. Going braless for some girls is flirty and attractive, but for someone as... buxom... as myself, it's just plain painful! After I was zipped, I turned to the full length mirror and gasped a little. It was truly stunning. The V in the front went down just enough to show a little cleavage but not enough to be slutty, and the A-line dress went down to just above my knee, hinting at my toned legs. The red was just perfect against my skin and the slight flush of my cheeks, and my blond hair will just be set off perfectly by it. It's official—n_ow_ I was excited for tonight. I was going to knock Eric dead. Hardy har.

I beamed at Claudine, who seemed just as joyous that she could help me as I was to be helped, and once more threw my arms around her. If she wasn't her statuesque 6' tall frame, I might have bowled her over, but as it was, she happily hugged me back once again. In my experience, fairies were very touchy-feely, and rarely turned down a hug.

"You're the best fairy godmother a girl could ask for!" I exclaimed, smiling broadly. "And now you even got me the dress for the ball!" I laughed, picturing Claudine bringing a giant blue Cinderella dress with tulle galore for a ball instead of the sexy red number I had on at present. That dress would have been worth wearing just to see Eric's reaction to it—and to see him try to get it off me... _Change that mental direction, Sookie! _I admonished internally.

Claudine laughed with me. "Well thanks, Sookie. You certainly keep me on my toes! Though I will say, it's much more relaxing when the danger I save you from includes deficient wardrobes rather than homicidal Were packs!"

I gave her a knowing smile and slowly shook my head at the truth of the statement. "I couldn't agree with you more, Claudine."

Claudine gave me the once over and nodded her head once. "Well, Sookie, it looks like my work here is done!" She leaned in and whispered, "Good luck tonight!" She winked and smiled at me, and popped out of existence as quickly as she arrived. I laughed at the absurdity of it all—fairy godmother, gorgeous dresses from above, etcetera—and quickly removed the dress to get ready so I could put it back on for real.

I spent the next hour showering, shaving, painting my nails (cranberry, to match the dress), perfuming (wearing Obsession, the one Eric had picked out for me that fateful night of the orgy oh-so long ago), and primping, effectively converting myself from Sookie Stackhouse, barmaid, into Sookie Stackhouse, bombshell. It was strange, after having roommates for some time now, to be all alone in my family house getting ready for my date. Octavia was spending the next 5 days in Shreveport visiting with her nieces and Amelia was down in New Orleans for the next week overseeing renovations on her apartment building to repair damage from Hurricane Katrina.

I was ready to put my dress back on after I donned a sexy red lace underwear and bra set, and my heart fluttered with the excitement all girls get before putting on a pretty dress. I struggled a bit to zipper it myself, but I managed, and after slipping into a pair of black peep-toe heels, I looked at the effect. The deep cranberry color of the dress, reminiscent of my favorite cranberry coat, looked great against my still-hanging-on tan. I left my hair down and free flowing since the satin material of the dress lends enough formality to not require an updo no matter what restaurant we were going to.

Glancing at the clock quickly, I realized that Eric would be due any minute so I only had enough time to make finishing touches on my make up. I gave myself a last quick once over in the mirror and nodded to myself with a seal of approval. Lookin' good, Sookie. I grabbed my black dressy shawl I got from Alcide all that time ago when I heard a knock at the door and went to answer it.

Eric arrived at my house promptly at 8:00 pm, looking simply dashing in a an expensive-looking black suit, silk cerulean blue button down shirt and his flowing blonde hair neatly tied back in a leather thong at the base of his head. His tie was a lighter blue paisley pattern that might have looked gay on some men, lesser men, but looked utterly GQ on him and no one alive (or dead) could deny his masculinity. I had to stamp down the immediate surge of lust that I felt upon seeing him, though I was quite sure that wave of lust I was trying to surf was NOT all from me. Eric eyed me hungrily as I opened the door to leave with him.

"You look ravishing, lover." Eric said, momentarily stunned in my doorway looking at me, his fangs running down more than a little in his "happiness" to see me. He shook himself quickly while I did the same and he held out his hand to assist me down the stairs of my front porch and towards his gleaming red sports car. I took it gladly, both to make contact with his cool, smooth skin and to make sure I didn't fall down the stairs onto my face because my heels were a bit higher than I was used to.

"You're lookin' good yourself, Eric." I craned my neck to smile up at him and he smiled back, a brief wave of happiness radiating through the bond.

I shivered a little and wrapped the soft black fabric around my shoulders a little tighter as we got into the car. Eric frowned at the wrap as if it were Alcide himself clinging to my shoulders, but said nothing as he got behind the wheel and turned up the heat. _When did it get so cold out?_, I thought idly to myself.

"So where are you taking me tonight, Eric?" I asked, watching him as he pulled out of my driveway.

"We are going to a restaurant called Persimmon. They have a wide array of choices for supe and human diners alike," Eric explained as he gained velocity, quickly surpassing the speed limit.

The car ride was quiet, though not uncomfortably so, and we arrived at the restaurant about 25 minutes later (though it would have taken most traffic law-abiding citizens about 45 minutes). The place did not stand out on the road, but it looked like a classy establishment nonetheless. We entered and were swiftly escorted by a slender hostess with pretty features and short, spiky blonde hair, a were of some type (something small with fur?), to a reserved table for two within the main space of the restaurant. Eric held my seat out for me and pushed it in as I sat down, and then went to the other side of the table to sit across from me. The hostess handed me a large, leather bound menu and Eric a much smaller, single sided menu, smiling brightly at Eric. He politely thanked her and turned his attention back to me.

After we both decided what we were ordering (which took decidedly longer for me since I had much more to choose from), Eric and I made small talk, discussing the imminent Were/shifter revelation and what it would mean for vampires, issues at Fangtasia, changes in Merlotte's, and as our first courses came, we had started to talk about Louisiana's new regime and how Eric has been coping with the change. Eric seemed to be a bit more reserved in behavior than his usual boisterous self, but I attributed it to being in public and not wanting to draw too much attention to himself when prying ears may be present.

The waitress set my salad with endives, candied walnuts, gorgonzola and a sherry vinaigrette in front of me (the other choices looked like they may have had garlic in them, and I didn't want to chance it), while the waitress set a glass of blood in front of Eric. I took a bite of my salad, noting that it was actually really delicious, and Eric took a small sip of his blood, savoring the flavor.

I swallowed my bite. "Has anything big been changed in your daily life because of this regime change?" I asked, genuinely curious, and took another bite of salad.

He thought about it for a moment. "It... is difficult to tell at present," he started, and then cleared his throat, placing his fist to his throat. Puzzlement crossed the bond, but then he continued. "I have been visited by Sandy or Victor each night at Fangtasia and Victor has made it his duty to make me feel on edge each night since the takeover, so I do not know how it will be after he finally leaves." He took another small sip of his blood, swallowed, and cleared his throat again with the same fist to his chest action.

Since something seemed to be bothering him but not wanting to draw attention to it, I grasped onto something he said.

"Why does Victor want you to feel... on edge?"

"I believe he is doing it as a show of power to display his …position over mine." Throat clear again. Eric looked at me, continuing what he was saying. "I am several centuries Victor's elder, and I believe it is a source of discomfort for him. His making me feel apparently uneasy makes him feel equal. It's not unlike a bully on the playground picking on other children to make up for his own feelings of inadequacy, from what Pam tells me according to her Dear Abby articles."

I laughed, trying not to choke on my salad. I was continuously amused by the fact that Pam and other vampires gain at least part of their insight into human actions from the advice column of the newspaper.

"That Pam and her Dear Abby." I chuckled.

Eric smiled. "Yes, well, when dealing so closely with humans as we do in the bar, it does help us to have a tie of sorts to human emotions and actions. As you can imagine, since Rhodes I have not had to read much 'Dear Abby' to have contact with human emotions." He grinned wider, and winked at me.

I flushed. "I guess the bond would give you a little more of a ... tie ... to human emotions when you're bound to someone as emotional as me, huh?" I said, nervously.

Eric leaned towards me over the table. "Lover, I would not choose any other human to be bound with, less emotional or not. Your spirit and vitality are some of the many draws my kind has towards you."

"Yeah, that and my _usefulness_ like a tool in their toolbox!" I said, with slight indignation in my voice.

He leaned back, smile unchanged. "That is very true, Sookie. Some do view you as a very valuable tool. An asset. Others of us have had the benefit to see you as significantly more than a pawn to be played properly, though your gift is not one to underestimate." I smiled at him in response to his sentiment, knowing Eric was always the pragmatist at heart. He took a longer sip of his blood, swallowed, and put the glass down, coughing slightly.

I looked up, startled at the sound coming from a vampire, but Eric waved it off, and a moment later the waitress came with my scallops, the mouth-watering smell of which distracted me momentarily, and another glass of a different type of blended blood for Eric. When I looked back up to remember what had startled me, Eric was fine, leaning over and peering into my dish with interest. The scallops were prepared with a shallot butter sauce, and as I took a bite, I found that the taste was heavenly.

"Scallops were not considered a source of food until about 300 years after I was turned vampire, so I have not had the pleasure of sampling them, but I can feel the pleasure of eating them through our connection. It is a very interesting sensation to vicariously experience human food." Eric said, watching at me eat with interest.

"I guess I can say the same thing about you enjoying your blood. It's not a common staple in my diet, you know?" I gave him a sly smile, remembering that while a human drinking blood directly from a vampire is often an extremely erotic experience, the satisfaction I felt as Eric drank his blended blood was an oddly foreign reaction to something that would be vile if I drank it myself.

"Indeed." Eric said, cocking an eyebrow.

The rest of the dinner went pleasantly, with Eric finishing his blood and I my delicious scallops. I was beginning to become slightly concerned as Eric had coughed and cleared his throat at least a few more times, but I tried to put it out of my head, knowing that Eric was a fully grown adult (I guess you could call 1000 years old matured, right?) and can look after himself. When he took my hand at one point in the conversation, I was shocked to find his hands weren't nearly as cold as they usually were.

"Eric, do you feel _warm_? It's pretty cold in here, but your hands don't feel all that much different from mine…" I said, unable to hide my slight concern.

Eric looked at me oddly and seemed to humor me in his response. "I'm sure you're just a little cold, Sookie, so my cold fingers are not as much of a difference as usual. I did also just feed, after all," he said, motioning at his empty glass of blood.

I wasn't sure I bought that, and I really wanted to put the back of my hand up to his forehead like my Gran used to do when she thought Jason or I were feverish, but the motion seemed way too intimate at this point in my relationship with the real Eric to just go for it.

I sighed. "Well, alright Eric, but between that cough and your warm hands, if you weren't a vampire I'd say you were coming down with something!"

Eric chuckled. "Yes Sookie, but I _am_ indeed vampire, and have been for quite a long time. I guarantee you that I am fine. Thank you for your concern though." And with that, I dropped it. For now.

After our entrée plates were cleared away and I assured him that I was entirely too full for dessert, he leaned in and reminded me that it was just as well that we save dessert for later. I had produced a full blush at that, and I gave him a little push against his shoulder for purposely going for that reaction. I figured that was more mature than sticking my tongue out at him. Alright, only slightly more mature.

Soon after Eric took care of the bill, I slid into the smooth Corvette that matched my dress and shut the door and Eric slid in beside me, starting up the car quickly to get the heat blasting. It had gotten pretty chilly as we had been eating in the temperature controlled restaurant and I shivered in the cold car.

The drive home was quiet but it was a contented silence again. I couldn't help but give in to that feeling of calm whenever I was in Eric's presence, and while the phenomenon sometimes exasperated the hell out of me, I relaxed into the comfortable leather seats of Eric's Corvette and the tranquil feeling of our connection. Once or twice I caught Eric stifling a cough, followed by a pang of confusion, and I raised an eyebrow at his profile but he didn't meet my eye. It was somehow unnerving for a being who does not breathe to cough, and my concern compounded with each cough I heard.

We finally arrived at my house and as we pulled up my long driveway, I noticed that Eric was pulling around back of the house rather than around to the front to drop me off. I had to assume, then, that he was planning on coming in with me through the back. I had a moment of hesitation and a zap of nervous butterflies in the pit of my stomach knowing that eventually we would _have_ to have the talk Eric had so fervently insisted was necessary, but Eric, who must have felt my apprehension, looked sideways at me and sent waves of reassurance through our tie.

"Lover, calm down. I won't bite... unless you want me to…" He smiled his Cheshire cat smile widely at me, winking.

His familiar playfulness put me at ease, and we exited Eric's car, each from our own doors (which was fine by me as I am perfectly capable of operating a door handle,_ thankyouverymuch_) and made our way through the darkness to the porch, security lights coming on as we approached.

Halfway to the back porch, Eric stopped walking and called to me softly with, "Wait a minute for me, my lover." Eric paused in his step and leaned over, placing his hands on his knees as though out of exhaustion. If I didn't know any better, I would have said he had just run a great distance, though even running wouldn't tire out a healthy vampire! At that moment when Eric paused, though, I felt waves of exhaustion and bewilderment pulsing through our bond. Now I was starting to get really concerned—daylight stupor was one thing, but I had never seen a vampire look this tired in the middle of the night with no apparent injuries!

Sensing the steady drop in the energy level of my companion, I rushed back to Eric. With one fluid movement, I put my left hand on his chest and straightened Eric up enough to put my right shoulder under his left arm and sling my arm across his back, offering as much support as a 5'6 mortal female in 3 inch heels could give. I knew after I did it that if I hadn't, Eric would have soon collapsed to the ground.

A/N—Thanks for reading! Please leave me a review if you like it! Reviews make me happy. :)


	5. Chapter 5

Title: "Florence Nightingale at Your Service, Viking"

Summary: When Eric succumbs to a rare vampire illness, he must rely on Sookie to care for him.

Rating: M (though mostly for last chapter)

Pairing: Eric & Sookie

Disclaimer: The talented Charlaine Harris is the rightful owner and creator of this fabulous world of hers. I'm just gallivanting around in it for a while...

A/N—Thank you so much to everyone who sent such great reviews for the last 4 chapters! Please leave me reviews if you like this one!

* * *

_**End of Chapter 4: **_

_Sensing the steady drop in the energy level of my companion, I rushed back to Eric. With one fluid movement, I put my left hand on his chest and straightened Eric up enough to put my right shoulder under his left arm and sling my arm across his back, offering as much support as a 5'6 mortal female in 3 inch heels could give. I knew after I did it that if I hadn't, Eric would have soon collapsed to the ground. _

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"Eric, we need to get you inside and onto a couch!" I yelped, looking at the 15 feet that were between us and the steps of my back porch.

I knew that if he were to fall to the ground, I'd have a hell of a time getting this towering vampire back on his feet with just the strength of my own two hands. I mean, sure, I was stronger than the average human woman thanks to all that vampire blood I've had in the last months, out of necessity, thank you, but c'mon—the man was a "tall drink of water", as my Gran would have called him.

Eric half leered at me, and in a typical Eric reaction, said, "Why Sookie, are you trying to get me down on your couch so soon?"

I cocked an eyebrow at him and silently moved my eyes over his form, letting him know expressly that I wasn't buying it. His tone quickly changed.

"There is no need to worry, Sookie. Whatever is the cause of this moment of fatigue will pass."

Gotta love that vampire pride. Careful to consider the ego of my Viking…_my Viking? I REALLY have to get my possessive pronouns straight... _I decided I'd played to his protective instincts instead.

"Well I'm sure you're right, but it sure is cold out here and I just didn't think to unpack my winter jacket yet. Could we go inside before I catch a cold?" I hoped my tone was light and offhand, but I was sure I wasn't fooling him since he could feel my concern for him through the bond if he wasn't already reading it in my face.

In truth, it actually was a tad on the nippy side, reminding me that it was, after all, the first week of November and it was soon going to be sweater season. Thankfully, my request worked.

"Of course, my lover. Let us go inside."

I was relieved because on top of my concern for him, Eric was really starting to get heavy! Eric, with my support, walked in slow, deliberate steps up the stairs to the back porch, through my back door and I guided him through the kitchen to the couch in my living room. He collapsed onto the couch with obvious relief, as if walking from the car to the couch took his last reserve of energy.

"Are you okay, Eric? I don't think I've ever seen you like this..." I asked as I anxiously scanned him over looking for any obvious source of injury. I noticed that the slight glow that I usually detected from vampires, that other humans oddly can't always perceive, was emanating a little stronger than usual tonight in the darkness of my living room.

"I... do not know…" he said, looking into my eyes with a trace of alarm in his expression. "I...I vaguely remember what it was like to fall ill in my days as a human many, many years ago, but vampires very rarely, if ever succumb to disease." His expression turned to one of deep thought, and I tried to clamp down on my own feelings of fear since the last thing Eric needs was more of that.

A memory of Sophie-Anne's falsely-reported obituary that was published the day after her demise popped in my head, and I all but forced it back into the storage container of my mind where it was held_. Sino-AIDS_. _Vampires could die from that_, I thought. _Weakened for months_. What were the other symptoms other than weakness? Vampires rarely spoke of it because the concept of their life being anything other than immortal was a taboo conversation point--at least between humans and vamps it was, from my experience. I decided that whatever it is, standing around staring at each other wasn't going to help anything.

I glanced at the clock. 11:15pm. Still early in the evening. Fangtasia would just be starting to pick up.

"I'm going to call Pam to let her know you're here and that you're experiencing...what?" I asked, wanting him to supply the information I'd be giving out to his underlings.

"...Tell her I am feeling excessively fatigued and have yet to determine the cause." He coughed a few times, and then continued, meeting my eyes. "And tell her to speak of this to no one." And with that, Eric slumped back on the sofa and coughed twice, loudly, and closed his eyes to rest. I looked at him, knowing he was not sleeping but merely resting his eyes, and turned to get the phone off the holder.

I dialed the number for Fangtasia I knew by heart and put the phone to my ear.

"This is Fangtasia, the bar with a bite," an eager human said in an entirely too-chipper-for-a-vampire-bar tone, "This is Lydia… how can I help you?"

"Hi Lydia, this is Sookie Stackhouse. Put Pam on please?"

"Ohh, she's very busy right now on door-- the line is around the block!" Lydia squealed with undeserved pride. "Can I take a message?"

"Lydia, you need to get this phone to Pam. Now." I said in my best 'I'm-not-asking' tone.

"But she told me not to bother her…" said Lydia, unsure.

"Lydia, NOW." I almost shouted. My temper was starting to flare. That was happening a lot more since I started hanging out with vampires. Another thought I'd have to store for future contemplation.

"O-Oh...Uhh--..Okay..," she stuttered.

A moment later, "Sookie, why are you frightening our new waitress? I thought having the bartenders fear your wrath would be enough?" answered Pam, amusement evident in her tone.

"Pam, I'm sorry but I needed to talk to you immediately."

Pam, sensing my urgency, and obviously being aware Eric should be with me, responded. "What is it, Sookie? Where is my master? Is he alright?"

I sighed. "That's why I'm calling, Pam. Eric and I just came back from dinner when Eric seemed to be overcome with feelings of 'excessive fatigue', as he describes it, and we have yet to determine the cause. He says to tell you not to talk to anyone about this."

Pam responded right away. "Of course not." I could hear a door close and the background noise die down. I reasoned that she must have walked into Eric's office.

She continued in a lower voice. "He is 'excessively fatigued'? When did you start to notice altered behavior, Sookie? Just after dinner?"

I reflected for a moment, thinking of the quiet car rides, and paused to hear Eric begin to cough again. "Actually, I guess right from the beginning of the night Eric seemed to be more... subdued... than usual, though it got worse as the night went on."

"Hmm. We will have to consider all possible sources." Pam paused. "Is he safe where he is right now? He is at your home, correct? Are your roommates present? And is that Eric..._coughing?_" Pam's brain was working a mile a minute. I was going to have to start writing her questions down on my Gran's notepad if she added any more to the list.

"No, to the first question, Pam—Amelia and Octavia are both on vacations of sorts for at least the next several days. And yes, that was him." I glanced over at Eric, who was watching me with vague interest. It seems Pam had the same concern about hearing a vampire cough as I did.

"Although you know I am fond of that delicious witch of a roommate you have--the fewer to know about Eric's condition, the better. If he is unable to go home tonight, is he safe with you?"

I thought about this. I had the little hidey-hole that Bill had built all those months ago in the spare bedroom across the hall from my room, which, although slightly cramped for Eric's tastes, would at least protect him from the deadly rays of sunlight. One thought crossed my mind as I watched Eric lean his head back against the couch in his lethargy.

"Pam, I have my little hidey-hole as you know, but what if Eric can't move by dawn? I don't think I can move him by myself into the space—he's heavy!" Amelia would have come in handy in that situation.... I pondered the dilemma and a thought occurred to me. "Pam-- are you free to drive into Bon Temps tonight after Fangtasia closes? Can you leave the bar?"

She paused as she considered. "Yes…I could put Clancy in charge and leave a bit early. There are enough vampires here to be able to run the bar for the last part of the night. What do you need of me, Sookie?"

I thought of my last trip to Wal-Mart-- one of those trips where you had nowhere in particular to be so you wandered the store perusing their various merchandise. "In Wal-Mart, there were these really heavy black drapes that they're just starting to sell. They're designed to be impenetrable" (my word-of the day last Monday) "to the light for vampires that find themselves living temporarily in a house without a special compartment or who don't want to sleep in a coffin. They just started carrying a small line of products geared towards vampires, you know. Can you pick them up for me? We can get them up in my bedroom and that way I can watch over Eric during the day in case he takes a turn for the worse or something. Also, could you get some Trueblood? I have a few bottles in my refrigerator, but not enough to last Eric more than another evening or so."

Pam assured me she would purchase both of these items and be in Bon Temps at the end of the night. Based on the way most vampires drove, she'd be here MUCH more quickly than she legally should have been able to after the bar closes. This time, I wasn't complaining about their insane driving.

Before she hung up, a thought occurred to me. "Pam-- should I call Dr. Ludwig? Just in case it's more serious?"

"I think that is wise, Sookie. I will see you soon."

As soon as Pam hung up, I put the phone down for a moment and focused my attention on Eric. I sat on the couch next to him and put my hand on his. It felt... warm. I gasped and clasped my hand around his. It didn't feel human warm, and certainly not Were warm (Weres ran a tad warmer than humans, even), but it certainly wasn't the cold, "dead" flesh vampires typically had. I met Eric's blue eyes that seemed to be a little glazed over—with weariness I guessed.

"Eric… your hand... it's... still warm... Do you feel hot?" This time I did bring one hand up to his face, lightly putting the back of my hand against a cheek. Definitely not vampire cold, I'll tell you that.

Eric gave me a little smirk. "Lover, I am always hot. You know this."

I rolled my eyes, though his true personality shining through did much to settle my nerves. My hand dropped back to holding his one hand with my two. "You know what I mean, Eric."

Eric sighed. "Now that you mention it, I do feel a bit warmer than usual, warmer than when you asked in the restaurant, but nothing for you to be concerned about, I am sure."

I gulped, knowing how my next thought will be received. "Eric--I think we should call Dr. Ludwig to come get a look at you. Just to be sure. I'll give her a call and see if she can make the trip out tonight before dawn."

His jaw clenched in a stern expression. "No, Sookie. I am fine. Whatever this is will surely be out of my system by nightfall tomorr-" He erupted into a series of coughs, the sound of which surprising both he and I due to the otherwise silent environment of my living room.

I raised an eyebrow at him and cocked my head, clearly indicating that his coughing was enough of a counterargument to require none of me. Honestly, I have never met a man (or now male vampire) who didn't argue at the prospect of seeing a doctor. When it's you who should go, though, they're the first ones to rag on you. Males.

Eric leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "Perhaps you are right, lover. As much as I hate to admit, it may be... prudent … to call the doctor."

I waited for no further argument. I quickly found my Shreveport yellow pages and found the corner that was still folded down from when Jason needed Dr. Ludwig's help after Crystal had miscarried. I deftly dialed the number and reached the familiar unfriendly answering machine warning the caller that Dr. Amy Ludwig was by no means taking new customers, nor was she interested in any products being sold. I waited for the line to ring to the doctor's office and said a silent prayer that she'd still be in her office this late at night.

"Hello, what is it?" A sharp, to the point voice answered and I said a silent thank you in response.

What she lacked in bedside manner she made up for in skill, so I ignored any small irritation I felt at the less than warm telephone greeting, just thankful that she was there. "Hello, Dr. Ludwig? This is Sookie Stackhouse... you treated me in Eric Nor-"

"Yes, yes, the maenad bite in Eric the Northman's office, and the half-panther brother with the miscarrying wife. I remember. What can I do for you, Miss Stackhouse?"

"Oh, ok, well… actually I was calling because I was concerned about Eric Northman..."

"You are concerned about his health? Miss Stackhouse, Vampires heal remarkably fast. Whatever damage he has incurred in the course of the evening will heal."

"Oh, please call me Sookie, but actually, I'm concerned because I think he might be... ill. I was wondering if you could come out to Bon Temps and take a look at him?"

The doctor, thankfully, responded quickly. "The Northman is ill? What are his symptoms?"

I walked with the phone over to Eric and surveyed him. He had slumped back into the couch out of his lean forward and his knees were spread apart and bent at right angles to the floor. He opened his eyes when he heard me approach, and eyed me carefully while I took inventory of his symptoms. "Well, he seems exhausted, and he's actually been _coughing_," I said the latter with as much disbelief as if I had found my cat tap dancing. I added, "… and his skin seems warmer than usual. Not as warm as mine, of course, but much warmer than usual."

Dr. Ludwig continued. "Miss Stackhouse, I'm going to need you to give me more specific information so I can try to make as accurate of a diagnosis as is possible so I can bring the appropriate medication. Do you have a thermometer and a small flashlight in the house?"

I thought about the two. "Yes, I have both. I'll get 'em." I remembered the medicine cabinet in my bathroom had a little thermometer with the red-dyed alcohol in the base, and I always had a flashlight in my nightstand in case of a power outage. I ran to get the thermometer out of the bathroom in my bedroom and the flashlight out of my nightstand, and I brought both, and the phone, back to the couch where Eric was sitting, looking curiously at the items in my hands first, then up to my face.

"Good," she replied. "Is the thermometer an oral thermometer or a rectal thermometer?"

I blushed furiously. "Oral," I quickly responded. _Thank GOD_. I can't even imagine the conversation that would have ensued with the Viking should I try to convince him of what the doctor wanted me to do if the thermometer was the _other _type….and how I'd never hear the end of it if I did. No pun intended. Eric looked at me curiously, obviously sensing the strong wave of embarrassment flood through me. I shook my head. I guessed from his neutral expression that he was not listening to Dr. Ludwig's side of the conversation.

"Take his temperature. While you are waiting, hold each of the vampire's eyes open and shine the flashlight in them. I'd like you to take notice of whether his pupils constrict with the light right away or if they remain dilated."

I picked up the thermometer and shook it, as I always remember my Gran doing whenever Jason or I were sick, to make all the alcohol go to the bottom of the thermometer. Eric eyed my movements suspiciously, and when I moved to bring the thermometer to his mouth he drew back as if I were trying to force-feed him garlic bread.

I was briefly exasperated before I mentally shook myself— Eric hasn't been sick for over 1000 years and he obviously didn't know how to play the role of "the patient", nor had he ever had first hand experience with having his temperature taken. I moved the phone to rest between my head and my shoulder and I took Eric's hand in a reassuring gesture. "Eric, Dr. Ludwig wants me to take your temperature. She needs to know how warm you're running so she can make an accurate diagnosis and bring the right medicine with her when she comes out here. I need to put this thermometer under your tongue."

Eric clenched his jaw and met my eyes, narrowing his for a brief moment, and wordlessly acquiesced by opening his mouth. I slipped the thermometer under his tongue and he carefully closed his mouth over it without biting the glass.

"It needs to stay there for about 3 minutes." Eric nodded his understanding.

"I also have to shine this flashlight in your eyes to see if your pupils constrict." Eric watched me warily as I gently placed my thumb and forefinger on either side of his right eye first and brought the small flashlight up to his beautiful sapphire eye. I quickly repeated the motion for the other eye, with each of his pupils very quickly constricted from the exposure to the light. _Good._

I put the flashlight down and readjusted the phone to take it in my right hand. My left hand was still being held by Eric. "Dr. Ludwig? His pupils got smaller when I put the flashlight up to them. The thermometer has another minute to go."

"Alright, Miss Stackhouse, very good. Is Mr. Northman feeling any nausea? Has he fed tonight?"

Eric, who still had a thermometer in his mouth, was not able to vocalize his answer to the question, but when he slowly nodded, I guessed he must have decided that listening in was in his best interest. As he nodded, I realized I was already vaguely aware of his nausea coming through the bond. I rubbed his thigh with the hand that had previously been holding his and, after waiting another minute, reached up to extract the thermometer from his mouth. I pulled it out and held it up to the light.

"He fed at the restaurant Persimmon tonight... some blended blood they served there. Eric says he is feeling nauseous and his temperature is reading.... 85.5 degrees. Wow... that's pretty warm for a vampire, isn't it?"

Dr. Ludwig ignored my question. "One last question before I travel down to see you, as I am sure you will need me tonight. Please ask Mr. Northman if he fed on any individuals in the past 4 to 6 nights who were not from this country?"

I looked up to Eric again and his jaw had clenched in response to the question. "Yes," he said. "She was Vietnamese, I believe. Four nights ago."

I relayed the information, trying to suppress the jealousy that came unexpectedly from me when I thought of him feeding on someone else. _He has to feed. I wasn't there and we weren't together._ _We still __aren't__ together. Why do I have the right to feel jealous_? I reasoned with myself.

"I will contact my driver and will meet you at your house in approximately one hour. You should move Mr. Northman to a room where the light can be blocked but will give you access to him during the day. Do it now while Mr. Northman can help move himself. I will see you soon." And with that, she hung up.

I got up to rinse off the thermometer and put it back in its case and replace the phone on its holster. I heard Eric's muffled coughing in the other room. I left the thermometer on the counter next to the sink and headed back to my ill Viking.

"Eric, Dr. Ludwig is on her way. She said we should get you lying down on a bed while you're still able to help me move you. I have Pam bringing light-blocking drapes designed for vampires and I'm going to have her help me put them up in my bedroom where I can keep an eye on you during the daytime. Thankfully I have the next two days off of work so I'm clear." I moved to stand in front of him as I was talking.

Eric fixed me with his blue eyes from his position on the couch. "And what of your roommates? When will they be returning? Forgive me, but I do not wish to allow relative strangers, especially _witches," _he said with particular distain, "to see me so vulnerable if whatever _this_ is will get worse before it gets better."

I understood his concern but I was a little indignant at his scorn for my witchy friends, especially Amelia, who were nothing like Hallow and her posse who bewitched Eric that fateful New Year's Eve night almost a year ago. "My _friends_ will not be home for at least 4 nights, not that they would be a threat to you even if they were. Do you have a better idea?"

Eric huffed. "One does not live over 1000 years by trusting strangers, Sookie. Remember that. And as far as a better idea, I would have suggested my home, where I assure you, drapes from Wal-Mart would be completely unnecessary."

"Pam and the doctor are already on their way here or planning on it. Stay here tonight, and tomorrow we'll figure out if we can move you to your house. In the meanwhile, let's follow Dr. Ludwig's instructions and get you up. Since it's getting closer and closer to dawn, and we already have the doctor and Pam coming here, let's get you into my bed."

He stood by pushing himself off the couch and grasped both my shoulders in his hands, leaning in slightly to be closer to my ear. "Lover, I have been waiting a long time to hear you invite me back into your bed. It is very disappointing both that you are not planning to join me in it and that I seem to be in no fit shape to entertain a woman as… energetic… as you."

I pulled back to look up at the smirk etched across his face. His proximity and his tone was intoxicating, and if he were in tip-top shape, believe you me-- that Viking would have been hauled into my bed before you could say 'Pillage my village!'… buuut as things lay with us and our having yet to have that pesky "talk" of ours, not to mention Eric's current health situation, it's probably for the best that it didn't come to play. Try telling that to my libido, however.

I stifled a giggle and feigned exasperation at my 6'4" companion with an "Alright, alright, that's enough out of _you_," and proceeded to wrap my arm around his waist and led him into the bedroom. Halfway to the bedroom, a thought occurred to me and I stopped to look up at him. "Eric, can't you _fly?" _

Eric looked at me a little sheepishly. "Yes, dear one, but I fear it will take too much of my energy so that I will not be prepared for the rest of the night. I hope I do not burden you too much by leaning on you…. not to mention forcing my care upon you on your days off."

I looked up at him and felt waves of apprehension and actually a little...was that embarrassment coming through our connection? As much as I hated getting "dragged into vampire shit", as I've said on numerous occasions, the man leaning heavily on me has cared for me in ways other men have not, from throwing himself in front of bullets flying at me on 3 separate occasions to protecting me from unwelcome attention at an orgy to refusing to leave me when I was staked and bleeding on the floor of that awful bar. Not to mention, of course, his saving me from a fate of being bonded to Andre by offering himself as an option instead (though that may or may not have been part of his "Get back into Sookie's pants" stealth campaign). If I were stuck playing nurse for anyone, I knew that I could find far less deserving people out there than the gorgeous blonde Viking vampire leaning on my shoulder.

I needed to allay his insecurities without laying all my cards on the table. I wasn't ready to have our talk... to come to our understanding… just yet. Eric had to be well and we had to be ready to make compromises and hammer out solutions to our various sources of discord, which doesn't usually work well when one of the two participating parties is a vampire in a mysterious lethargic stupor.

"Let's get you to the bed, Eric, so you can rest… and about your burdening me, you've taken care of me loads of times, Eric, and you always seem to be around when I need you and you always seem to have my best interest in mind. I'm glad that if you do have to get sick, I can help get you better in any way I can." Eric glanced down with a look of genuine appreciation as I picked up on the feeling of relief coming through the bond. With that, I held him and helped him finally get to and sit down onto my bed. I noticed in the course of moving him that I could actually feel heat rising up off of his body, which disconcerted me to no end. I put a hand on either of his cheeks to feel his face and I could feel the heat radiating off of it. Had his temperature risen since I had taken it 15 minutes ago?

"Eric, let's get you out of these beautiful clothes before you wrinkle them. Please tell me you're wearing boxers and an undershirt?"

"You are in luck, dear Sookie, for I am wearing both."

"Good, because I doubt my spandex shorts would look nearly as good as those pink and blue ones you wore to that party I took you to so long ago, and I also doubt that Dr. Ludwig would appreciate a nude vampire." Though maybe she would? I really had no idea.

"Ah. Yes—I recall your look of surprise when I revealed that outfit from under my coat that night after I surprised you in your room. That look was... what is the phrase... worth the price of admission?" he said with a wry smile.

I smiled as I coaxed the suit jacket off of Eric, hung it up on a hanger in my closet, and loosened and removed Eric's tie while he sat still with his chin raised to give me room to maneuver the silk. I put it with the suit jacket in my closet and I began to unbutton Eric's beautiful cerulean blue silk shirt. Eric tried to help with the buttons, but in his drained state his fumbling fingers got in the way more than they helped.

I opened the shirt and ran my hands between the shirt's shoulders and the bare skin of his upper arms to slide the shirt from his frame. The smooth skin of his muscular shoulders was perfect and I fought the small shiver of lust that traveled up my spine. After the silk shirt was off and hanging up next to the suit jacket, I saw that Eric was indeed wearing a tight black tank top. I removed Eric's big, expensive Italian shoes and I put light pressure on Eric's shoulders with my hands, coaxing him to twist so he can lie full on the bed. He settled back on the pillows as I made quick work of his belt and the button and fly to his pants, tapping the side of his left hip to encourage him to lift his hips to allow me to pull off his pants. Eric was wearing sapphire colored silk boxers, which matched the color of his eyes, and I was exceedingly thankful for the fact that he had not chosen tonight to go commando. That would have been hard to explain to Dr. Ludwig… and, again, to my libido. It was a testament to how "off" Eric felt that he did not leer or react with anything other than compliance while I carefully removed his garments and this made me feel more nervous for him than anything else.

I hung the pants up with his suit so they could stay beautiful and turned my attention back to Eric. His "glow" was definitely more pronounced than usual, and I tried to control my anxiety about that fact. I pulled a light quilt over him so he wasn't so bare and sat down lightly on the bed next to him. I met his eyes.

"Is there anything I can get for you, Eric? I know you said you were nauseous but I doubt ginger ale would make you feel better." I said with a small smile. "A Trueblood? I think I have some O negative in the 'fridge..."

"That would be good, Sookie, thank you," he said quietly.

I hopped up off the bed and considered if Eric was just accepting my offer of a blood so he could get a few minutes to himself. I knew how sometimes when you're sick all you want is to be left alone. I decided that I'd make it a point to give Eric privacy if that's what he wanted.

I scuttled into the kitchen, grabbed a Trueblood from the fridge and popped it into the microwave. When the timer went off, I took it out, shook it to disperse any of the hot spots, and brought it into the bedroom. Eric looked almost … delicate… laying on my bed with my Gran's old quilt spread over him. He lazily opened his eyes and sat up as I walked over and put the blood on the night stand. I grabbed some extra pillows and put them behind his back to support him sitting up.

I realized I was still in my beautiful cranberry dress and decided that the need to be dressy was now gone. "I'm going to go change out of this dress, Eric—will you be ok while I'm gone?"

"Of course, Sookie—take care of your needs. I will be fine."

I pulled out an old, soft pair of jeans, my favorite LSU sweatshirt and a pair of socks out of my dresser, kicked off my heels into my closet, and padded into the bathroom to change. After I slipped out of my cranberry dress, hung it up on the hanger still in the bathroom, and donned the comfortable clothes, I looked at my reflection. I looked tired, though my makeup was still intact. Could Eric's weariness could be the cause of my exhaustion? I tried to discern if I was _emotionally_ weary or _physically _weary? _If it was physical, was it because MY body was tired, or because Eric's was? If the latter was true, what does that mean I'll feel if something awful happened to Eric?_ I shuddered at the prospect, and surprised myself in that I was more afraid of the thought of losing Eric than what it would do to me physically. I'd have to store that away for further introspection later as well. I put my hair up in a neat ponytail on top of my head, made sure it was centered, and walked out of the bathroom.

I moved towards the bed and got a good look at Eric, surprised to find that he looked almost _green_. The Trueblood bottle was half finished but abandoned on the table next to him.

"Eric? Are you ok? You're lookin' a little green around the gills…"

Rather than answer, Eric quickly swung his legs around the side of the bed and I, sensing his need, quickly took post under his arm and led him to the toilet in the bathroom. Eric collapsed to his knees in front of the porcelain structure and heaved the red fluid out of his stomach in violent strokes. I pulled the strands of blonde hair that had escaped the leather tie away from his face, holding his beautiful hair with one hand and lightly stroking his broad back with the other in what I hoped was a soothing manner.

I stopped stroking his back when he was done to hand him a tissue. I released Eric's hair and tucked the front strands behind his ears so they wouldn't fall back in his face if it happened again. I was feeling a whole host of emotions coming from Eric, including disgust, fear, embarrassment, and … _anger_. If I didn't feel the anger bubbling up to the surface his outburst may have shocked me, but with our bonded status, I was able to brace myself.

He glared at me as he took the tissue and wiped his mouth with it. I refused to back down from his glare--after all this wasn't _my_ fault! I waited with a confident look on my face for the other shoe to fall. He snapped.

"This is disgraceful!" he roared. "What is WRONG with me? ME. A Vampire and WARRIOR of my status, my power, reduced to a withering, shameful excuse for a man, reliant on a weak mortal _girl," _he spat the word,_ "_to hold my hair back like the _vermin_ who drink too much at my bar. Vampires are above such _weakness_. I cannot and WILL NOT tolerate this in myself." He pulled himself to his feet using the bathroom furniture to support him, forcefully throwing the tissue into the toilet and violently pushed down the plunger to flush the toilet. I winced, thinking how much it would cost to replace the relatively new appliance, and was relieved when it bounced back intact.

Eric drew himself to his full 6'4" stature and looked at me as if challenging me to object to his outburst or insist I help him walk. I raised my eyebrows and put up my hands in an "I won't touch you" gesture, and watched him move slowly back to the bed, giving him a wide berth as I followed him out. He sat back on the bed and put his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands, in much the same position as I found him when he finally remembered our time together after Felipe de Castro's takeover.

His feelings were a tangled mess and I tried to give him a little privacy by internally pulling back from the bond a bit while at the same time trying my best to send him feelings of reassurance. I weighed my options and decided to overlook his outburst and offer my support by silent proximity and sat down gently beside him on the bed. We sat like this for a couple minutes, after which Eric slowly took his face out of his hands and leaned his head on my shoulder. The vulnerability of the move in contrast to both the show of anger moments before, and to his character in general, both shocked me and sent a pang through my heart. I moved closer to put my arms around his hulking shoulders as far as they'd reach and drew his body to me, his head over my left shoulder and his arms around my waist. I understood that his outburst was more a result of his damaged pride and his fear, and I did not take it personally.

I'm not sure how long we sat like that, but I was roused from the moment of mutual comforting by a loud knock at the front door. I pulled back, looked into Eric's tired blue eyes and gave him a small smile as I got up to go see who was at the door.

* * *

A/N—Whew! That was a long one! Thanks for reading if you got this far, and don't hate me! At least Sookie's there to take care of our favorite, ailing Viking, right? ;) [_runs and hides_]

Please leave me reviews if you liked it! (…and _please_ be gentle if you didn't!) :)

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

Title: "Florence Nightingale at Your Service, Viking"

Summary: When Eric succumbs to a rare vampire illness, he must rely on Sookie to care for him.

Rating: M (though mostly for last chapter)

Pairing: Eric & Sookie

Disclaimer: The talented Charlaine Harris is the rightful owner and creator of this fabulous world of hers. I'm just prancing around there for a while... (and leaving ill Viking Vampires who require a little TLC in my wake…)…

**A/N—Again, thank you SO MUCH to everyone who left me a review after the last chapter! Anyone who's written fan fiction before can tell you how much they mean! :) Some of them just cracked me up! **

-- Here's another long chapter, folks! Hope you like it… it may answer some (but not all!) of the questions you have!

* * *

_**End of Chapter 5:**_

_His feelings were a tangled mess and I tried to give him a little privacy by internally pulling back from the bond a bit while at the same time trying my best to send him feelings of reassurance. I weighed my options and decided to overlook his outburst and offer my support by silent proximity and sat down gently beside him on the bed. We sat like this for a couple minutes, after which Eric slowly took his face out of his hands and leaned his head on my shoulder. The vulnerability of the move in contrast to the show of anger moments before and to his character in general both shocked me and sent a pang through my heart. I moved closer to put my arms around his hulking shoulders as far as they'd reach and drew his body to me, his head over my left shoulder and his arms around my waist. I understood that his outburst was more a result of his damaged pride and his fear, and I did not take it personally. _

_I'm not sure how long we sat like that, but I was roused from the moment of mutual comforting by a loud knock at the front door. I pulled back, looked into Eric's tired blue eyes and gave him a small smile as I got up to go see who was at the door. _

* * *

**Chapter 6**

I looked through the peep hole and could see the car in the distance and a younger male Were (I could tell from scanning him, even from this far away) leaning casually against the car busy typing on his cell phone and seemingly enjoying the night. _That must be the Were Amanda's son, who she mentioned was Dr. Ludwig's usual driver when she drove the doctor to see Crystal_, I thought to myself. I assumed the tiny doctor was at the door but could not be seen using my newly installed peep hole and I opened the door and looked down.

"Doctor Ludwig, thank you so much for coming so quickly. Eric and I really appreciate it. Please come in." I stood aside and the tiny Doctor Ludwig, olive skinned with thick, shortly-clipped curls and a large nose, came in carrying a huge black doctor's bag. She was wearing somewhat old-fashioned medical garb, including a plain tunic and white slacks, as she was the first time I met her. I offered to carry her black bag and she handed it over to me, surprising me with its unexpected weight. I waved to the male Were when I saw he was looking in my direction and he waved back, then turned his attention back to his cell phone, making no movement like he'd want to come into the house. I was relieved. _It was better that way_, I thought. _The less people to know of Eric's condition the better_.

"Hello Miss Stackhouse. And where is Mr. Northman?" she said as she looked curiously around the house.

"Please call me Sookie. He's in the master bedroom, this way." I lead her to the room and turned and smiled, "Can I get you something to drink? Sweet tea? Coke? Coffee?" I was nothing if not a gracious host. My Gran taught me well.

"No, thank you." She turned her attention to Eric, who had returned to his position sitting up on the bed and had the quilt drawn up to his waist. "Ah, Mr. Northman! I hear you are feeling under the weather this evening," she said as she drew a small chair I had in the corner over and motioned for me to prop her doctor's bag on it.

"That is correct, Dr. Ludwig. Thank you for coming. I have never experienced illness since being made vampire. I hope you have insight into my current… condition." Eric said carefully. He was tense, and you could tell that although when _I _had been on his office couch on my stomach, writhing in pain under the ministrations of this very doctor with my maenad bite, he had been relaxed, winking and cracking jokes, he didn't much enjoy being in the "patient seat" now.

Dr. Ludwig surveyed Eric's state with her keen eyes, surely taking in symptoms and cues I hadn't thought to mention.

"Miss Stackhouse, pull the cover back from Mr. Northman." I went over to the bed and glanced at Eric's face and gave him a small smile as I pulled the quilt off as the doctor instructed. His mouth was set in a line and I could see the muscle in his jaw twitch as he set himself for whatever Dr. Ludwig was going to say or do.

Just as I was wondering how this Hobbit-esque creature was going to be able to treat a large vampire who was propped on my very high old bed, Doctor Ludwig put a few instruments from her black bag in her pockets, and, clutching one of those thermometers that go in the person's ear, _leapt_ on to the bed.

She knelt on the bed and commanded, "Turn your head." Eric glanced sideways at the doctor as he did as she asked, and he flinched in surprise as she quickly thrust the little rubber end of her thermometer into his ear to get a reading. "89.6 degrees Fahrenheit. That's 4.1 degrees warmer than you reported approximately one hour ago, correct?" she said, looking over her shoulder at me. I nodded.

"Hmm. This is something you will have to monitor closely. Vampires' bodies run at lower temperatures due to the lack of personally produced body heat, typically between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, similar to the temperature at which human corpses are found. Higher body temperatures for extended periods of time can prove to be… detrimental. Miss Stackhouse, I am going to leave this thermometer with you so that you may take the vampire's temperature while he is in his daytime slumber since your oral thermometer will be useless without Mr. Northman's participation. If his temperature raises approaches 95 degrees, cool him down by any means necessary—Ice packs, cooling blankets, bath, etcetera. I will retrieve it when I return to check on Mr. Northman in…," she paused, thinking. "…2 days." I nodded my understanding, meeting Eric's eyes briefly. He had steeled himself to whatever lay in his immediate future and this was acceptable thus far.

She pulled her own mini flashlight out of her pocket and held each of Eric's eyes open as she shined the light in it, confirming my findings. "Pupils constrict with light. Rules out _Sino-AIDS. _Whatever is causing this is not affecting your 's a good thing, Mr. Northman." She looked down at him briefly as Eric and I both relaxed fractionally, tension I didn't know I was holding on to releasing from my shoulders.

I couldn't help but ask the question that was relentlessly pinging around my head. "Well, then what could it be? I've never heard of any other disease that affects vampires," I asked curiously.

The doctor considered me. "There are a few rare diseases that are found abroad that you would not have heard of. Some are caused by bacteria, others by viruses. If Mr. Northman asserts that he fed on an individual approximately 4 nights ago who was most likely from Vietnam," she glanced at Eric for confirmation. He nodded. "Then I can narrow it down to a few possibilities. Whichever it is, I will be leaving a treatment for you when I leave today. I trust you will be able to be under the care of Miss Stackhouse for the next… 4 days?"

I opened my mouth to speak but Eric spoke first. "I would not force my care on Sookie for so long. Surely I will be able to take care of myself or have my child care for me after two days?" Eric avoided my gaze and I closed my mouth and looked back to the doctor.

"No, Mr. Northman. You will be contagious to other vampires. You should avoid the direct company of any vampires for at least 3 days to circumvent spread to vampires in your employ, but you _will _need another to care for you."

Eric still would not meet my eyes. A tempest of emotions was swirling in Eric too complex for me to discern. I found this very strange indeed—usually, if Eric needed something, Eric demanded it. I was within his _retinue_ after all, wasn't I? Maybe this need was too personal for him to feel he could demand? Maybe he was embarrassed to be in this position with me because I was a possible romantic interest or maybe because I'm a human? I decided I would save him the trouble. I walked over to the other side of the bed, opposite the doctor, took his one big hand in my two smaller ones and met his eyes.

"Eric, you can count on me. I will be with you for as long as you need me. I'm sure Sam can get someone to cover for me until you're all better. He'll have to."

Eric snapped his gaze to my face. "Are you certain, Sookie?" His anxiety was palpable.

"Eric, how many times have you taken care of me? Of course I'll reciprocate. I just want you back to your usual obnoxious self," I said, grinning and trying to lighten the mood.

Eric's thoughts relaxed and some of the tension that had been building left his features. He gave me a small smile, mutual affection flowing between our bond. "Thank you, dear one."

After a moment Dr. Ludwig cleared her throat and forced us back to the present, and I flushed a little, abashed that I had pretty much forgotten the small woman was even there.

Eric coughed then, loud and deep, and Dr. Ludwig's attention was immediately turned back to her patient.

"Remove the shirt." She commanded, partially to me, partially to Eric.

Surprised but not wanting to question the sharp doctor, I helped Eric pull the garment over his head and was once again bowled over by the manly beauty of his sculpted physique. I'm sure the involuntary wave of lusty admiration I felt was the cause of the little twitch I saw playing on the side of Eric's mouth and I was happy that at least I could entertain him in some small way.

She put both of her small, skilled hands and her ear flat onto Eric's broad chest and commanded him to cough again. He complied, coughing forcedly twice, which triggered a bout of natural coughing. She kept her hands and ear firmly on his chest for the whole fit, effectively pinning him down against the pillows. I wondered vaguely how strong this little woman was and incidentally, _what_ she was. Again, questions for another time.

She rose from his chest and nodded, obviously taking mental notes though not voicing her findings.

I had still not moved from my position next to Eric holding his hand, and when he stilled again after coughing, he started lightly stroking my hand with his thumb, maybe soothing himself as much as me.

Dr. Ludwig took out her flashlight again and grasping Eric firmly by the jaw, she commanded "Open." and he obeyed without any outward reaction. She peered in, while with the thumb of her other hand she pushed up Eric's left upper lip, then right upper lip, nodded again, and coaxed his mouth closed. I could only assume that she was checking Eric's fangs for something.

"You mentioned over the phone that Mr. Northman was experiencing some feelings of nausea. Have you vomited this evening?" She said, looking at Eric. He broke eye contact with her for a brief moment and had a repulsed look on his face. I squeezed his hand a little, showing him support. His gaze snapped back to Dr. Ludwig, making his internal decision to tell her and rolling with it. "Yes, I did. Moments before you arrived here."

"Alright. Miss Stackhouse, remove some of those pillows and help Mr. Northman to lie flat on his back."

I followed instructions and helped Eric slowly lean back down on the bed, leaving only one pillow under his head. I went back to holding his left hand, which I was finding was as much of a comfort to me as it may be to him (or maybe more, for all I knew). I could tell from our connection that he was still nauseous, nervous, and uneasy, and I tried to fill him with as much strength and reassurance as I could muster as he did for me so many times in the past. He gave me a small appreciative smile and looked back at the doctor.

The doctor then proceeded to press Eric's abdomen in seemingly random places. Eric sat quite still through the majority of the prodding, until he gasped, wincing and clenching his teeth when she pressed down firmly on one part of his upper left abdomen (my right). A menacing, involuntary snarl ripped through his teeth into the silent room as he grasped the bed sheets with one hand and my hand harder with the other out of response. I was glad that I had had vampire blood in the last few months, because otherwise it may have done some damage! If that touch of hers elicited that kind of response from _Eric_, I can guess that it hurt like a bitch, pardon my French.

The doctor, unphased by Eric's snarling, met his eyes once more. "Okay, Mr. Northman, I believe I am sure what is afflicting you based on your nausea, your spleen sensitivity, your temperature and exhaustion, and your cough, as well as other smaller cues, though I'd like to take a blood sample to analyze here and then to research more completely back at my lab in Shreveport to be certain. Would this be acceptable to you?"

"Yes." Eric said softly, having relaxed back again slightly and unclenched his jaw.

I helped Eric sit back up against the headboard and replaced some of the pillows behind his back as the doctor got a few materials out of her bag. These included a hypodermic needle with the plastic top on it designed for taking blood, three small vacutainers (those special test tubes designed to collect the blood), a rubber tourniquet, and a swab moistened with antiseptic. Seeing these supplies, the memories of the first night I met Bill—the night I saved him from the drainers—came flooding back to me at once. I convinced myself this was a decidedly different scenario and neither was silver involved, nor would I have to fight anyone armed with a knife and a chain. Eric looked at me questioningly, feeling my reaction was more than just some phobia of needles. I shook my head. I'd tell him the story later, if he asks.

Eric turned his forearm over, clenching his hand into a fist, and presented it to Dr. Ludwig, who deftly secured the tourniquet in place above his elbow and swabbed the crook of Eric's arm with the antiseptic. Yesterday, I would have laughed at this, since what does a vampire have to worry about an infected wound? Their wounds close so fast the bacteria wouldn't know what hit 'em. However, since it was possible that what was making Eric so ill was bacterial in nature, I decided to keep my mouth shut. She slipped the needle skillfully into the vein, causing Eric to clench his jaw at the odd sensation more than the actual pain of the procedure (I was sure Eric had an extremely high tolerance for pain), and secured the first vacutainer in place. Blood began to fill the little vial very slowly. Vampire blood seeps rather than spouts since there was no heartbeat to pump it to its destination.

In 10 minutes, all three vials were filled and the doctor pulled the needle out from Eric's arm and removed the tourniquet. Within seconds, the little puncture mark was completely gone.

The doctor leapt down from the bed, took out a small syringe from her black bag and removed a few drops of blood from one of the three vacutainers. Taking out a small black device that was about the same size and shape as the remote control to one of those little toy cars, she inserted the needle into an opening on the top of the device, injected the blood into it, and it whirred to life. I knew there was something special about the device, and I was also certain that _my _family doctor would certainly neither have one, nor be aware of its existence or purpose, but that was all I could determine. Eric and I watched curiously as the doctor looked intently at the little screen popping random pieces of data up on the screen until she set it down, giving Eric a confident smile.

"Just as I suspected, Mr. Northman, you are suffering from an infection of a particular kind of decomposing bacterium in the genus of _Cryptobacteria_, which is harmless to humans due to their high body temperature and immune system reaction, but vampires are not as immune to it as they are to most other kinds of bacterial pathogens. It is rare and indigenous to areas of Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia and is becoming more of a problem for vampires in these areas as it is developing resistance to the magic that typically repels pathogens. This device allows me to detect living forms in your blood tissue, and since your own tissue is not technically classified as living, a positive reading means that bacteria are present. The device also gives other molecular clues as to their identification based on their cellular wall composition."

I paused, thinking about the vast amount of information the doctor just hurled at us. I didn't do too well in biology because there were several strong broadcasters in that class, including my teacher who would constantly be thinking about sports and his significantly younger wife, but I thought I could remember a few things from the homework I did in the textbook… "What about viruses? Couldn't it be one of those?" I asked, curious.

The doctor regarded me for a moment. "The life reading was positive, so no. Since viruses are not technically considered living either as they cannot sustain life without a host cell in which to propagate, this device would have returned a negative life reading in that case."

Alrighty then. I nodded.

The doctor turned back to Eric. "_Cryptobacteria _has an incubation period of about 4-6 days, which would explain the delay you experienced falling ill after ingesting the blood from the source. I will be leaving a regimen of a special recently developed antibiotic serum that Miss Stackhouse will have to help you to take. You will be on this for 4 days. You may start to feel more ill as the night goes on tonight and tomorrow night, and Miss Stackhouse," she said, looking to me now, "it will be important for you to watch over Mr. Northman to the best of your ability and follow my instructions."

I tightened my grip on Eric's hand. "Just call me Florence Nightingale!" I said with a nervous laugh and my tense smile. Eric gave my hand a small, reassuring squeeze.

"Do not worry, Miss Stackhouse. I will give you specific instructions and they will be well within your ability to perform. I would not in good conscience leave an untrained human to do the job if I didn't feel that it was simple enough for you to handle. It is more important that Mr. Northman be in the care of someone he can trust when he is vulnerable rather than someone skilled in the practice of medicine in this case."

I didn't know whether to be grateful at the encouragement or indignant at the doctor's words regarding my humanness as a source of inferiority so I settled on a silent nod. I looked at Eric again, who was continuing to stifle his coughing, though we still heard it. _He looks so tired_, I thought to myself looking him over and focusing on his half-lidded eyes. _This better work._

Doctor Ludwig turned back to her slowly emptying bag and drew out 3 identical little medicine vials with a yellowish, iridescent fluid in them and about 12 hypodermic needle and syringes, individually wrapped, placing them neatly on the nightstand. She paused, thinking, and then drew out one smaller medicine vial slightly different from the others and 4 more hypodermic needle and syringes. My eyes widened at the sight, finally realizing what kind of medicine I was going to be administering to Eric over the course of the next 4 days. Eric, obviously already understanding, said nothing, his expression stony.

I thought of the last time I had a sinus infection. "Why not pills? When I have an infection they just give me a bottle of pills to take." I asked, avoiding looking at the growing pile of medical paraphernalia which now included a generous quantity of pre-moistened antiseptic swab packets.

The doctor paused and looked at me, and in a tone that hinted of a little condescension, said "Vampires cannot ingest anything but blood, Miss Stackhouse. His body will expel any pills he is made to swallow. I would set him up with a constant IV, but as you may have seen with vampires, if anything is embedded in their skin, their flesh pushes it out as it heals."

I thought of the last time Eric took a bullet for me when Priscilla-the-crazy-Were-bitch's henchman had impersonated a police officer to try to kill me. The bullet had literally just been pushed out of his flesh and his skin resealed itself.

"Yeah, I've noticed." No need to suck that baby out, I mentally huffed, thinking of one of the few times Eric had deceived me. Looking at Eric, he seemed to be following my train of thought and had the good grace to look a (_very) _little bit sheepish at the memory.

Seeing the recognition on my face, the doctor continued. "So it will be necessary for you to deliver the antibiotic serum every night, twice a night for the next 4 days. One dose should be given shortly after he wakes, and one should be given about half an hour before dawn. Please get a piece of paper so you may record these instructions in detail so I do not have to get my driver to bring me back here."

"Oh… oh, right. Be right back!" I said, jumping off the bed as if shocked into action and running into the kitchen to get the steno pad I keep by the phone. I grabbed a couple pens and trotted back into the bedroom. I sat down on the bed on the side of Eric the doctor was on so she could look over what I was writing to make sure I include everything.

"Alright," I said, writing. "Two doses, one within an hour of waking up, the other within a half hour of dawn…."

The doctor continued. "Each dose will be 2 cc's of antibiotic fluid and will be given in the gluteal muscles. I will show you how in a moment."

I narrowed my eyes as I wrote that, wondering where the gluteal muscles are. I guess I'd find out soon.

The doctor continued, picking up the necessary materials to demonstrate. "Swab the area of the skin with an antiseptic wipe, then, with the needle in the vial, push the air out of the syringe, invert the combination, and pull the medicine into the syringe. Flick the syringe to ensure air bubbles are brought to the top and depress the plunger until only 2 cc's are remaining in the syringe and all air is squeezed out," she said, showing me the 2 cc mark on a syringe. I nodded, recording as much as I could.

"Please help Mr. Northman turn over and lay on his stomach and I will show you how to administer the medication."

I nodded automatically, but then registered about what she just asked me to do and I looked up at Eric's face, feeling my cheeks burn with embarrassment when I was flooded with the realization of what was going to be happening. He looked relatively indifferent to the whole process, and I remembered how vampires experience very little modesty for some reason.

"Wh...Why does it have to go…the-there?" I stammered.

Dr. Ludwig looked at me impatiently. "Because it must be in a big enough muscle to accept the treatment. Now do as I say, girl."

I jumped to, helping Eric lie down, my cheeks remaining almost as red as my beautiful dress that I wore seemingly years (though in reality only hours) ago. Before turning over, Eric took my hand and met my eyes. "Lover, do not be embarrassed. You are doing a great service to me by helping me this week. I am not modest, therefore why should you be embarrassed for me? Besides," he said, a small smirk playing on his face, "you'll get an excuse to view your favorite part of me _at least _8 times this week, if I do recall our conversation correctly, which I'm sure I do now." I laughed, nerves partially draining out from me, and he rolled over, drew his boxers down to thigh level, and put his head on his folded arms in a relaxed pose.

The view was spectacular. It took me by surprise and I was dumbfounded for a quick moment at his shape before I saw Dr. Ludwig cocking an eyebrow at me and I flushed full red once again. _It might be my color of the week_, I thought grimly, _if this was going to be my job_…

"Alright, Miss Stackhouse." And she proceeded to explain to me exactly how to figure out where to put the medicine, which ended up in the upper right or left quadrant of Eric's poor, beautiful butt. I was certain that, using my notes, I'd be able to figure out where the shot goes. Whether I'd be able to go through with it without turning beet red each and every time was another question entirely. She instructed me to hold the syringe between my thumb and middle finger and hold the skin to one side of the injection site to reduce the pain Eric feels, and gently administer the shot, careful not to push the medicine in too fast which can hurt him as well. I wrote while Dr. Ludwig actually administered the first dose, causing Eric to take in a quick breath from the surprise of it as it went in.

After it was done, Eric righted himself on the bed and I pulled the quilt back over him and put pillows behind his back to help him sit up.

"Mr. Northman, Sookie here is going to be doing that for you twice a day for the next 4 days. I also have provided this other medication and that's to be used as needed to reduce feelings of nausea as you have to keep your strength up and vomiting and a poor appetite will not help that. Questions?" She asked, starting to round up her various pieces of equipment back into her black bag.

"Yes. My child, Pamela, is coming here to help Sookie install curtains to block out sunlight so I may stay in this room during daylight hours tomorrow. Will this risk spreading this...bacterium...to her?"

Eric was so incredibly tired, and I knew because I could feel the exhaustion pulsing from him, but he still was thinking of good questions. I couldn't help but marvel at him.

"You should be moved into another room prior to Pamela's arrival just temporarily, Miss Stackhouse should use whatever disinfecting spray she might have, and it would be prudent to give Pamela one dose of the antibiotics that you have received, just to be sure. As I said before, you do not want this spreading among your cohorts. This bacterium can spread like..." she paused, thinking "It can spread in methods similar to the human influenza virus, through saliva and other body fluids."

Eric nodded.

Then I thought of something. "Eric caught this disease from feeding from a human. How would I catch this disease? How should I avoid getting it?"

"I will be leaving you with your own set of antibiotics, in pill form, for you to take over the next 10 days, just in case. It will ensure that you do not become a carrier of it, even if you do contract it. The main way that a vampire would pass the disease to a human would be by biting him or her, and I wouldn't suggest that for at least…2 to 3 days, even though you will be taking the medication. Miss Stackhouse, the bacterium would not actually hurt you, but you do not want to risk carrying it and reinfecting Mr. Northman or any other vampires at a later date. The only way for a vampire to contract it from a human is by biting them, though."

"Why?" I asked, intrigued, though slightly mortified that Dr. Ludwig thought that Eric or other vampires might be biting me in the near future. I pride myself on not being a fangbanger, no matter how many vampires I keep the company of. I berated myself briefly after for being embarrassed, though. Why should I be surprised that she picked up on our undefined relationship? We had been holding hands most of the time she's been in the room and I was sure she didn't become a skillful doctor by being willfully ignorant of her surroundings.

"Well, since because the bacterium doesn't mount a full scale infection in a human, there's not a high enough concentration of the bacterium in _your_ saliva and other bodily fluids to pass it to other vampires just by being in their presence."

I blinked at the biology lesson, hoping I caught the important points while in my reverie.

"Well, thank you again, Doctor Ludwig. Is there anything else you think we should know?" I asked, thankful that we were coming to the end of the doctor's visit.

"No," she said, picking up her heavy bag, "but if you wouldn't mind getting me a glass of water before I depart, I would be appreciative."

"Of course," I said, smiling at Eric's sleepy face and following her out into the living room at then into the kitchen.

"Miss Stackhouse," Dr. Ludwig said quietly, "would you like to allow Eric to feed from your blood over the next two days? Real human blood will provide a significant amount more strength than synthetic Trueblood."

"If you think it would help, yes, but didn't you say he shouldn't bite me for at least 3 days?" I asked, confused.

"True, but I can draw blood from you now so you can give him some of your blood without him biting you. If you would like to do this for him, I will draw the blood from you now and you can store it in your refrigerator to serve to him this week. I did not want to ask in front of Mr. Northman in case this is not something you feel comfortable doing." She said, continuing to keep her voice down practically to a whisper so that even vampire hearing couldn't pick it up.

"Yes," I said without having to think about it. "If it will help him get better, I will do what I can. Just don't take too much, because I have to be strong enough to physically be able to move him between rooms twice tonight." I whispered back, not wanting to come off as a wimp but trying to be practical.

"I will take between a pint and a pint and a half. It should not leave you feeling overly tired. This should also be enough for Mr. Northman due to his age at least until I return. Would you like to go back into the bedroom to sit with Mr. Northman?"

"No!" I said quickly, then amended my tone and said quietly, "No, let's just do it out here." I didn't want to give Eric a chance to deny me doing this for him, and I didn't want him thinking I was only doing it so he owed me something_. Maybe he won't even know._ I thought, though not real seriously. I knew he'd know, sure as rain.

I pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and sat down, rolled up my sleeve, and held out my left arm. Dr. Ludwig quickly pulled out 5 vacutainers, a fresh hypodermic needle, an antiseptic swab, and the same tourniquet she used on Eric. I winced as the needle went in, but she worked quickly and soon I had 5 vials of my blood in the refrigerator ready for Eric when he was up to it. It made me happy that I'd be able to give him that. I put a band-aid on the small puncture in the crook of my elbow and bent it to help stop the bleeding. _We can't all heal instantaneously around here_, I thought to myself.

I rolled my sleeve back down so Eric wouldn't be suspicious (though I knew he would be anyhow) and we went back into the bedroom together. Eric was resting with his eyes closed on the bed when we walked in, but opened them when we arrived.

"One other thing I did not specifically go over is the nausea medication. Miss Stackhouse should give it to you once to twice a night if you are nauseous, Mr. Northman." He nodded and she continued. "Are you nauseous now?"

He turned and looked out the window, avoiding our gazes. I could feel his embarrassment and pride, coupled with other emotions and his general feeling of nausea that was indeed present.

Not wanting to betray our connection and his trust, but also wanting him to be well, I said as sweetly as I could, "Doctor, why don't you tell me where the shot would go and how to do it, and if he feels nauseous later I'll give it to him?" Eric's eyes flicked to mine and if begrudging appreciation could be an emotion felt through the bond, that's what it was—it was difficult to describe it otherwise.

The doctor looked from me to Eric with her shrewd eyes. "It is alright, Mr. Northman, for you to be nauseous. It is a common side effect of this particular bacterial infection, though a very uncommon feeling in vampires. It is important for your stomach to be settled so that you may feed and regain your strength. If you do not want this now though, Miss Stackhouse, please take note so you can administer the drug later." Nothing was getting by her, alright.

I came over to the nightstand where she was with my notepad. She had picked up another syringe and proceeded with the same steps, except this time only 1 cc of the clear liquid from the smaller bottle was needed. She replaced the cap on the needle and put it back on the nightstand. "This can go in his upper arm, here." She said, pointing to the general area right below his shoulder, and I took note. Eric continued to gaze out the window, ignoring us.

I rolled my eyes and mused at that moment how when men are sick, the most self-secured and mature male is instantly reduced to a whining, immature 9-year old boy. Thank god women carry the children among humans or else the species would have died out thousands and thousands of years ago.

"It's very good you called me, Miss Stackhouse; while the infection is quite manageable when being treated, it can become very serious if left alone."

I grinned proudly, hoping in a childish way for an 'I told you so!' moment with Eric but he just continued to look at the trees through my window and crossed his arms. Baby.

Dr. Ludwig met my eyes and I thought for a second I might have seen a glimmer of an amused expression to match my own at the vampire's pouting. I rolled my eyes and grinned and we shared the few seconds of female-bonding-over-male-issues time.

"Thank you very much, Doctor Ludwig, for taking so much of your time to come all the way out here and for your patience with us. We appreciate it," I said, speaking for Eric in case he didn't snap out of it. Maybe that did the trick because he turned, uncrossed his arms and gave Dr. Ludwig a winning smile.

"Thank you, Amy. I appreciate your skill and care. I will compensate you for your time handsomely, I guarantee you that."

"Ha! Well hopefully you will survive the next few days so I'll receive that generous payment!" Dr. Ludwig laughed. Oh yeah. I had almost forgotten how Dr. Ludwig's _outstanding _sense of humor showed itself last time in her amusement at the vampires having to use teamwork to completely drain me when I was poisoned by the cursed maenad. I tried to hang on to the admiration I felt for her moments ago and not to glare at her for joking about Eric's serious condition. Hey, if Eric wasn't glaring, I shouldn't, right?

"I'll show you to the door, Dr. Ludwig." I said, _trying_ not to be curt. I took her bag for her and we walked to the door.

"Ahh, thank you Miss Stackhouse. A delight to see you again. If you have questions, please call the number you reached me at tonight. I will be back here in 2 nights at 7:00 pm unless you contact me to tell me otherwise."

"Thanks again," I said, opening the door and handing her back her doctor's bag. "Good night." I said, nodding my respect. She nodded back, walked out the door to her waiting car, and with that, Eric and I were alone again.

* * *

**A/N**—Thanks so much for reading!! Please leave me a review if you liked it! (and, as always… please be kind if you didn't!) :) After what I put our poor Viking though, I feel like I should go hide again…lol. _[hides]_

**Also, in case you were wondering:**

I made up _Cryptobacteria_… there's no such genus or species of bacteria by that name. I couldn't find a decomposing species of bacteria that fit the bill and had a humorous name. "Crypto" is a disease, though (you can get it from gross pools--ew), and does make you sick, kind of like this, but it's a protozoan (like to what causes malaria), not a bacterium. I figure we usually associate crypts with dead things and vampires so I went with that.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

Title: "Florence Nightingale at Your Service, Viking"

Summary: When Eric succumbs to a rare vampire illness, he must rely on Sookie to care for him.

Rating: M (though mostly for last chapter)

Pairing: Eric & Sookie

Disclaimer: The talented Charlaine Harris is the rightful owner and creator of this fabulous world of hers. I'm just cavorting in it for a while...leaving telepathic barmaids to deal with ill vampires in my wake…

* * *

**A/N—Once again, thank you all for the awesome reviews! I love them all and you all _rock_! **

**  
This chapter is shorter than the last two, and the next two chapters by my estimation will be shorter than this, but I promise to get them out in a timely manner! :) **

* * *

_**At the end of Chapter 6:**_

"_I'll show you to the door, Dr. Ludwig." I said, trying not to be curt. I took her bag for her and we walked to the door. _

"_Ahh, thank you Miss Stackhouse. A delight to see you again. If you have questions, please call the number you reached me at tonight. I will be back here in 2 days at 7:00 pm unless you contact me to tell me otherwise." _

"_Thanks again," I said, opening the door and handing her back her doctor's bag. "Good night." I said, nodding my respect. She nodded back, walked out the door to her waiting car, and with that, Eric and I were alone again._

* * *

**Chapter 7**

I sauntered back into my bedroom to find Eric still staring out the window. I sat cross legged in the seat near my bed that I've, too often, found ex-lovers upon waking. I gazed at Eric, waiting for him to acknowledge my entering the room.

He didn't turn to me, but started to speak.

"I can only swallow so much of my pride, Sookie. The injections of...the antibiotic serum..." he said the phrase as if it were an unspoken foreign language, "are necessary. But to be nauseous, as a vampire, is such a _weak _trait, and it will be perceived as pathetic." He turned to me, looking pained. "To feed—that is the essence of being a vampire. A loss of this desire, this urge, it's …." He paused, then continued speaking through clenched teeth "It is difficult for me to even convince myself that I must show even you this weakness, though I have no choice." Anger flared in the bond and he looked back out the window.

I was touched by his honesty, though sad and troubled at how much of his pride he feels he has to swallow to accept my help. I moved to the bed, sat down cross-legged next to him on the big bed and took his hand. He continued to stare out the window.

"Eric."

No movement.

"Eric, please look at me." He shifted but didn't turn to look at me until I leaned forward and put a gentle hand on his far cheek. His eyes were hard but softened when he saw my sympathetic gaze.

"Eric, I am not a vampire, and I am not a man, so I don't completely empathize with your issues of pride in hunger and rejection of weakness, but I do understand your desire to keep face to all those vampires you work with. Aaaand… I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I can be a bit stubborn, strong-willed and prideful myself on occasion." I said with a self-deprecating chuckle.

Eric snorted, giving me a wry smile in return.

I continued. "I'm learning that, as I'm forced to mature as a result of being put in more and more life threatening positions, sometimes you just have to back down and swallow your pride." I gave him a knowing smile, both of us aware that it was vampire business that was the main part of the reason I'm continually put in such positions of danger. "And this is easy for you. The only two people who know of your full symptoms are the doctor and me, and I'll take the details of them to the grave." I winked at my pun, and Eric gave into a soft, deep chuckle in spite of himself.

"In all seriousness though, Eric, I won't tell anyone. All Pam knows is that you're really tired. We'll just keep it at that and she won't even share that with anyone. In 5 days you'll be good as new, and you can just tell people you abducted me to take me on some romantic vacation. Or to do some job for you. Whatever." I felt his mood lifting through the bond at the thought this scenario, I guessed that the thought that no one will know of his weakness but me, the doctor, and the wall caused the change in mood.

"But what if I wanted to _actually_ take you on a romantic vacation? Would you yield to me and _come _with me?" He had his smirk on again, and I picked up on the double entendre of his statement with a groan.

"Oh, _Eric_," I said, sighing, though one corner of my mouth curled up. "We'll just see how good of a patient you are and whether you deserve a _reward_ at the end of all this mess." I said playfully.

"I see. Well then, I'm all yours, _Florence,_" said Eric, alluding to my Florence Nightingale comment earlier.

In truth, I'd give anything to be on a romantic vacation with a fully healthy Eric again. _Would I really? _I wondered. _Yup. That's a positive_. _Well, _I concluded, _that will make that talk much easier, huh?_

I smiled to myself.

"What?" Eric asked, studying my face.

"Oh, nothing." I said. "So… on a scale of 1 to 10, how nauseous are you? Enough to swallow your pride so you can keep down some blood later? You know you need to feed to keep up your strength." I said, changing the subject.

Eric sighed and grumbled. "Probably about a 9. I haven't felt well at all since you assisted me to the bathroom, and the doctor pressing that one spot on my abdomen made it worse." He covered the spot over his spleen protectively with his hand and winced at the memory. "It is good I had an empty stomach."

I plucked an antiseptic packet off the nightstand, ripped it open and, getting off the bed to stand but putting one knee on the mattress to lean forward, went to swab Eric's upper arm. "Sit up a little, will ya?" I requested, and Eric did, slowly. I ran the cool, moist little pad over the skin of Eric's muscular shoulder, causing him to shiver a little. My eyes snapped up. "Cold?"

"Sookie, vampires don't get cold easily." Eric said matter-of-factly.

"Yes," I said, giving him a stop-bullshitting-me look. "They don't get sick easily either. And you're running a temperature. Do you want another blanket?"

"Maybe in a little." Eric said, meaning after I give him the nausea medication. I turned back to what I was doing. I took up the needle that Dr. Ludwig had already loaded, uncapped it, and held it up and flicked it to make sure there were no bubbles. I depressed the plunger, making a little fluid run out the top, and was ready. My heart was hammering because, hey, I'm no doctor, and I didn't want to cause Eric pain.

"Sookie, breathe. It is okay. You will not hurt me." His calm voice said, his blue eyes looking into mine. He was the one reassuring me, and I was the one with the needle in my hand. What's wrong with this picture?

I took a deep breath, took his right arm in my left hand and held it a little away from the body so I could see the muscle it was going in, and pushed the needle into the flesh of his arm and depressed the plunger. Eric didn't move a muscle and was careful not to react, helping calm my nerves. When I pulled the needle out, I was shaking and sweating, realizing what I'd just done. I put the used needle in the old laundry detergent plastic bottle the doctor instructed me to get earlier, and screwed the top back on the container. I sighed in relief at the task being completed.

I looked back to Eric, still shaking, and after he ran a hand over the injection site, he coaxed me into the bed beside him. He put his arms around me and I wrapped my arms around his chest, curled against his body.

We lay like this for a good long while and I must have even drifted off to sleep for half an hour or so. When I woke, I noticed that Eric's body was not the cold, solid flesh it usually was.

"Mmm… Eric, I should probably check your temperature to make sure it's not too hot." I said in a voice rough with sleep while rubbing my eyes.

He nodded, and I got the special thermometer the doctor had brought over from the night table. I gently placed it in Eric's ear, first moving his lovely hair out of the way, as it had slipped from the tie he was using earlier.

"92.4 degrees Fahrenheit. We'll have to watch that later tonight, Eric. Are you feeling any better? After the nausea medication?"

"Yes, actually, lover. I think I could use something to drink, if you would be so obliging as to get me a Trueblood?"

"I'll put it in a glass for you so you can have a little at a time. How's that?" I asked, knowing full well he'd be getting my blood instead of that "synthetic crap" as he once called it.

"That will be fine. Thank you." Eric said, sighing back into the pillows and closing his eyes to rest.

I walked out to the kitchen and plucked one of the large vials of blood from the refrigerator, took the rubber top off, and poured it into a small glass. It would have just about half filled a white wine glass, though it'd be too creepy to serve it in that considering it was my own blood.

I popped the glass into the microwave, taking it out when it was done and swirling it around. I walked back into the bedroom and handed it to Eric, who seemed distracted.

He took a cautious sip and immediately groaned in pleasure, swallowed, and put the glass down on the nightstand carefully as though very valuable. He looked at me shrewdly and held his hand out for me to take. I gave him a small smile, giving him my hands and he grasped them gently, first turning them over and examining my wrists, and then a thought seemed to occur to him. He rolled up my left sweatshirt sleeve until the band-aid on the crook of my arm was revealed. I shrugged and looked at him sheepishly as he met my eyes. His expression was astounded, and his eyes went back to the band-aid as he ran his thumb very gently across it. Wordlessly, he carefully rolled down my sweatshirt sleeve back over my elbow and down, and drew me in for an almost bone-crushing hug. I hugged him back, smiling at his silent appreciation.

He pulled back and looked down at me, fangs drawn down a bit, though it was not intimidating in his smile. "Dear one, you truly amaze me. Thank you for your wonderful gift. I will not waste it, and when I am better, _you_ will be rewarded handsomely too," he said, smiling.

I drew away, surprised and a little angry. "I don't want your _money_ Eric—I'm not a whore! I did it because I want you to get better!" I huffed, hurt.

He gathered me back into his arms. "No, no, no, my lover, you mistake my meaning. I would never think to quantify your thoughtful gift in terms of money." He lowered his voice to whisper directly in my ear. "I mean to show my appreciation in _other ways._" He said, brushing his lips lightly against my cheek and I smiled, my whole body shivering at the thought and his actions. _Alright,_ I thought, _I guess I'll accept THAT. _And when I thought about it, I decided he should hear that thought as well.

"Eric," I said, giving him my own little seductive smile, "I will accept your acts of appreciation as soon as you are well enough to bequeath them to me." Bequeath was yesterday's word from my favorite calendar so I was happy to use it. I lightly kissed his lips and drew back. "Now finish your blood before it gets cold." I said, smiling genuinely at him. I felt happiness, lust, and… something more (but not love, right?)… coming through the bond, and I was happy Eric seemed to be in a better temperament even in the face of a very bad night.

I sat back down on the ex-boyfriend chair and watched Eric enjoy the blood I had given him and retreated into my own form of "down-time."

I roused myself out of the sleep that I had obviously fallen into about an hour later, and it seemed that Eric had been trying to get my attention from the bed. I groggily opened my eyes and shook my head, remembering the events of the evening thus far. Then I remembered that Pam was going to be coming over soon and my eyes looked at the clock first—3:10am—and then Eric second, who had a significantly healthier fullness to his face. Feeding definitely helped.

"Hey," I said with a gruff voice as a result from sleeping with my mouth open, looking at Eric with bleary eyes and unglamorously wiping a bit of drool from the side of my mouth with the back of my hand. "You look better. I guess we ought to get you into the other room, huh?" Every muscle in my body groaned from sleeping in an uncomfortable position in the chair, but it helped to stretch when I stood up.

Eric smiled. "Yes, my lover. My child will be here soon and I do not want to risk giving her this illness if I can avoid it." He sat up and slowly and carefully swung his legs around the side of the bed. He was still wearing only his boxer shorts, and it occurred to me that Pam should bring over some comfortable clothes and a change of boxers for Eric to wear over the next few days. I would call her when I got Eric into the other room.

"Let's put a tank top on you at least before we walk through the drafty house." I said, surveying his almost naked body with a shiver. I wished I had something he could wear but I just didn't have anything in extra-large tall. He nodded, and I practically threw myself across the wide bed to grab his black tank, and Eric helped guide his arms through the holes as I pulled the shirt over his head. He just looked more comfortable with a little more clothing on.

I put my right arm around his body and his left arm draped along my shoulder.

"Are you ok, Eric?" I grunted, stressed as he leaned heavily on me when we started to walk.

"I am... very weak, lover. I am …sorry for..."

"Shh!" I interrupted, not needing to hear an apology when I can feel the full blast of it through the bond.

Slowly but surly, I got Eric to lie down on Octavia's bed in the room opposite my own. I drew back; sweat pouring down my temples, I was very happy to have him situated. He looked at me apologetically and I held my hand up in an "I don't want to hear it" gesture and smiled at him. I wasn't used to this meek Eric and I wanted to nip it in the bud. As much as blunt and grandiose Eric can be grating on the nerves, he was the real Eric and the more "real" Eric acted, the less concerned I was about his health.

I closed the door behind me as I got one of the many Lysol spray cans that Amelia had picked up for one of her stress-induced cleaning sessions and vigorously sprayed the bedroom, the bed, and the living room, hoping that Lysol and the booster of antibiotics would be enough to keep Pam from getting sick. Then I called her.

"Fangtasia," said Pam's bored and irritated-sounding voice, "the bar with a... oh whatever, who is this?"

I laughed. "Pam, it's Sookie! Are you okay?"

Pam chuckled too. "Good, I was hoping it wasn't Eric. He isn't thrilled by my occasional less-than-exuberant phone persona. I am okay—it has been a long night. A fight between fangbangers over one particularly cute new male vampire caused a commotion earlier. Human girls who want to rip each other's throats out are actually quite vicious! Who knew!" Pam said, almost in awe.

"Yeah, Pam, I've seen enough fights in the girl's locker room in high school to be able to attest to that that." I said, laughing. One fight in particular came to mind that took 4 muscular female gym teachers to break up. The hair pulling, nail digging fight was caused by one girl saying the other looked fat in her gym shorts.

"Well, one of the _vermin _had a whole set of silver rings on, idiotic girl not knowing the effect silver has on vampires, so when Thalia went to restrain her and got burned, let's just say the vermin's hand, and arm for that matter, with the silver did not go unscathed. We had to glamour her to convince her she fell down the stairs and landed on it so we could call an ambulance to set the fractures without getting sued." Pam sighed audibly.

"Sure does sound like an exciting night, Pam! Listen, when you comin' over here?"

"I was just about to leave when I picked up the phone. Why do you ask? Do you need something _else_?"

"Oh, well, not for me, but I was thinking that Eric could probably use a few changes of boxers and maybe some comfortable clothes to hang around in. The doctor gave me medicine to give him, and he's going to be okay, but he's going to have to stay here for 4 to 5 days…" I said, trailing off.

"Oh LORD, I don't envy you the job of trying to keep that vampire in a bed for that amount of time without the use of silver, though I would not suggest silver as a good way to win his affection," she amended quickly, clearly amused that the job was mine and not hers.

"Yeah well, someone's got to do it. So, would you mind swinging by wherever Eric hangs his hat to pick up some clothes for him, and any toiletries you think he might want to make him more comfortable? He'll mostly just need comfortable clothes— sweatpants, t shirts, etcetera."

"'Hangs his hat?' Sookie, I doubt I've ever seen Eric wear a … no matter. I can do that. I will see you in approximately 45 minutes."

I silently chuckled at how little idioms can throw intelligent vampires for a loop. "Alrighty then, Pam, bye!"

"Goodbye." And we hung up.

"Pam's comin' by in about 45 minutes," I said to Eric as I poked my head in the door.

"I can hardly wait to see what amusement she gains from this situation I am in." he said, groaning and pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger for the second time this night.

* * *

**A/N- Thanks so much for reading! As always, if you liked it, please leave me a review!** As Sookie said once (about something significantly different than reviews, of course), they're "better than a happy meal to a three year old"! :)

Updates coming soon!

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

Title: "Florence Nightingale at Your Service, Viking"

Summary: When Eric succumbs to a rare vampire illness, he must rely on Sookie to care for him.

Rating: M (though mostly for last chapter)

Pairing: Eric & Sookie

Disclaimer: The talented Charlaine Harris is the rightful owner and creator of this fabulous world of hers. I'm just enjoying the scenery for a bit!

* * *

**A/N— A big thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I love them! **

**Also--I'm not going to be able to update every day after this one as my future chapters need a little more work to finish them to the point of releasing them, but they'll definitely be out steadily over the next week! Thanks again for reading! **

**As always, please leave me a review if you like it! Reviews inspire me to write faster! :)**

* * *

_**End of Chapter 7**_

"_Pam's comin' by in about 45 minutes," I said to Eric as I poked my head in the door. _

"_I can hardly wait to see what amusement she gains from this situation I am in." he said, groaning and pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger for the second time this night. _

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Pam laughed heartily. "So Sookie, does this mean you are literally going to be a pain in my master's ass for the next 4 days?" she asked, merriment playing in her eyes. "How... ironic."

Apparently, as soon as she found out that her master was going to be alright, his situation took a decided turn towards the humorous as I described the treatment I was going to be giving Eric for the next 4 days (minus any mention of nausea medicine, of course). I was just happy she was not going to be able to mock him to his face. It was bad enough that I could tell he had heard her and was currently emitting anger through our bond.

"Uh, Pam, just so you know, he can hear you…." And dropping my voice to a whisper, "And he's not happy."

Pam just laughed harder at that.

I had gotten Pam a Trueblood and warmed it up in the microwave for her as she had started installing the light-tight shades she had purchased from Wal-Mart. Now I joined her in my bedroom to see what I could help with even though my energy level was hovering on "E".

"These actually are relatively ingenious in how many safeguards they have to make sure everything stays in place and no light gets through," Pam said, reading the installation instructions with a power screwdriver in hand. Amelia had borrowed the screwdriver from Tray to put together a new Ikea TV stand that she bought for her new little flatscreen TV for her sitting room upstairs. She had given me her old TV with a VHS player built into it which I put in my room, though I had not used it yet. Maybe it will be a source of entertainment for my new guest.

"Oh yeah?" I asked, shaking off my involuntary yawn. It did not escape my notice that it was 4:00am and I had been up for long, long time and it had been a long, long night. Between giving blood and the incredibly tumultuous evening, I was finding myself drained both literally and figuratively.

The black drapes were huge-- large enough to cover windows much larger than those in my bedroom, so I was comfortable that Pam would be able to install them adequately in order to protect her master. There were several thick layers of curtains and several interlocking layers around the edges. Along the sides and the bottom of the curtain there was Velcro at least 7 inches wide that attaches securely to the wall and the floor. At the top of the black curtain there was a heavy-duty metal track that was screwed into the ceiling. The track was shaped in a shallow semicircle and the fabric ran along it, similar to those in some hospital emergency rooms, though with the main difference being that the juncture between the curtain, the track, and the ceiling was light tight. Pam had just finished screwing the track into my ceiling and was looking at how to affix the curtain to the track.

When finally constructed, it looked like a combination of thick black stage curtain and a shower curtain that surrounded a tub. There was certainly no light was getting through that sucker, alright. The other curtain that came with the set would go around the bedroom door. This will allow me to leave the room without exposing Eric to the light streaming in from the house when the bedroom door is opened. It was a smaller semicircle and allowed me to slip into the space between the curtain and the door, secure the opening between the bedroom and the house light, and go into the living room. I thought about how I could attach a prettier fabric to the black at a later time if they end up being left there. I guess whether I left them up or not will depend on what Eric and I decide to do with our relationship. _One thing at a time, there, Sook, _I told myself reprovingly.

After it was all done and Pam had handed over the bag of clothes she brought for Eric, I knew I couldn't hold off telling her about my having to give her a dose of the antibiotic serum as well. It wasn't gonna be pretty, and I didn't really know how she was going to take it.

"Um… Pam?" I asked tentatively, watching her straighten up the bedroom while I concentrated on trying to stop yawning.

"Yes, my dear sleepy Sookie?" Pam asked, amused by my struggles.

"I… well… remember how you said I was going to be a big pain in Eric's ass this week?" I said, waking up more as I focused on what I was saying.

"Ohhh yes. It will be an endless source of amusement for me, Sookie, let me tell you."

"Wellllll, I really hate to break it to you—truly Pam, I am, but…" I paused, thinking about how to phrase it.

"Sookie, say it. What?" Pam said, coming closer and starting to get irritated.

"It seems as though I might.... uh, have to be a pain in your ass too…" I winced, looking up and bracing for the impact of my words.

"In plain English, Sookie. What is your issue?" Pam commanded, narrowing her eyes.

I looked up at her from my chair and it all spilled out.

"_ThedoctorthinksifyoureintheroomwhereEricwasyoumightgetsicktoososhemademepromisetogiveyouadosetoo_..." I spewed out, hoping she wouldn't hear and I could just pretend it never happened.

"The doctor is requiring you to give ME a dose of antibiotics because I might catch the illness just from being in this room?" Pam said incredulously with the hint of a growl.

I nodded. Stupid vampire hearing—humans could never have figured out what I said.

She marched over across the hall to the door of Octavia's room, where Eric was resting, and knocked loudly. "Eric. Is this true? I am to allow Sookie to give me the same drug she is giving you?"

From the other side of the door, Eric said, relatively quietly, "That is correct, Pamela. Behave and I shall reward you. I regret having to put you in this position but I required your services."

"Oh, _all right_. I understand, Master," she said resignedly, nodding grimly at the door. "I will submit to Sookie. I will _also_ run the bar in your absence. What should I tell others of your whereabouts?"

"Thank you, Pam. Tell anyone who asks that I am… on a retreat of sorts with Sookie. A romantic vacation, if details are required. I also will need one more thing from you. Tomorrow you must bring food and any other supplies that Sookie might need to the house. Since she is supposed to be away with me, she cannot be seen out in town."

"Understood. I will confer with Sookie on this matter of what to purchase. That is all?"

"Yes."

Pam bowed her head to the door (which I thought to be extremely odd seeing as there was no way Eric could see her) and turned back into my bedroom. Without saying another word, she cocked her eyebrow at me, unbuckled her belt, unfastened her pants and shimmied down her skinny leg black jeans she was wearing. Underneath she was wearing peach lace thong underwear, and she pulled those down as well. I stood dumbfounded, watching. She leaned forward against the bed on her hands, eventually saying, with sarcasm in her voice, "Sookie, I know you may be enjoying the view, but please get on with it as I must drive back to Shreveport before dawn? I do not wish to stay here and further risk infection."

I shook myself and gulped, really starting to hate the position I've been put in as head nurse when I barely graduated high school with my sanity in check. Thanks a lot, Telepathy.

"Oh... Oh—I'm so sorry Pam! You caught me surprise. Alright, give me a minute." I said, beet red once again and my fingers fumbling to set up a dose of the antibiotic treatment. When it was set, I grabbed an antiseptic swipe and brought it and the loaded syringe over to where Pam leaned, motionless, against the bed.

My heart thumped in my chest cavity as I struggled to tear open the antiseptic wipe packet. When I finally had it in hand, I advanced near Pam and swabbed the area that would be receiving the treatment and tossed the wipe in the trash.

"Ohh, Sookie, what was _that?" _Pam asked, seemingly enthralled.

"That was the, uh, antiseptic wipe. Alcohol." I said with a small voice. Pam looked over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow.

"Sookie, I'm not used to seeing you so meek! Snap out of it and get on with it. I don't have all night, and I'm just _dying_ with anticipation to see what my master will be enduring all week." She said, giving me a sly grin over her shoulder.

I chuckled, realizing that yes, we were all adults here, and yes, the situation sucks but again, not my fault!

"Sorry Pam, I'm just tired and weary and I'm no nurse, that's all. There, I'm snapped out of it, happy?"

"_Immensely_._" _Pam purred with a mixture of sarcasm and amusement.

I straightened my back, stiffened my resolve, and hunkered down and poked my friend in the ass to save her from the risk of developing a life-threatening illness.

I heaved a sigh of relief as I threw the used hypodermic in the laundry detergent bottle and spun back to find Pam, decent once more, smiling with her hand on her hip.

"Well THAT was an experience," she laughed. "Do enjoy caressing my master's bottom for the next week, Sookie... maybe that will make him lighten up. He's been truly _unbearable _recently."

More anger coursing through the bond. "Yeah, Pam, he heard that too."

"Good—I hope he does. I've told him myself in person more times than I can count. Please, for all our sakes, Sookie, give the man a chance. Work out your …_shit_… while you have him in captivity." She winked and flashed a knowing smile at me. Then she continued.

"I shall converse with you tomorrow evening about what human supplies you will need for your house arrest for the next 4 days." She nodded to me, spun on her stilettos (a remnant from her outfit while on the door at Fangtasia), and glided out of the room. I heard her out the front door and her car starting in an inhuman succession. _No one makes an exit like a vampire,_ I thought, _except maybe a fairy. _Poof, indeed.

And once again, Eric and I were alone in the house.

* * *

**A/N—Thanks for reading! Please leave a review if you liked it! **

**Updates coming soon! : )**

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

Title: "Florence Nightingale at Your Service, Viking"

Summary: When Eric succumbs to a rare vampire illness, he must rely on Sookie to care for him.

Rating: M (though mostly for the last chapter)

Pairing: Eric & Sookie (_obviously_) :)

Disclaimer: The talented Charlaine Harris is the rightful owner and creator of this fabulous world of hers. I'm just enjoying the company of her characters for a bit!

* * *

**A/N— Thank you again for the reviews! I love them! **

**This chapter's on the short side, but it didn't fit to put it with the chapters around it, so it will have to be short. :) I'll update soon, I promise! Thanks for reading!**

**Reviews make me smile and write faster! :)**

* * *

**_End of Last Chapter:_**

_"Good—I hope he does. I've told him myself in person more times than I can count. Please, for all our sakes, Sookie, give the man a chance. Work out your …shit… while you have him in captivity." Pam winked and flashed a knowing smile at me. Then she continued. _

_"I shall converse with you tomorrow evening about what human supplies you will need for your house arrest for the next 4 days." She nodded to me, spun on her stilettos (a remnant from her outfit while on the door at Fangtasia), and glided out of the room. I heard her out the front door and her car starting in an inhuman succession. No one makes an exit like a vampire, I thought, except maybe a fairy. Poof, indeed. _

_And once again, Eric and I were alone in the house._

* * *

**Chapter 9**

I walked back into Octavia's bedroom and almost laughed outright at the sight. Eric was sprawled out on Octavia's twin bed, part of my leftover childhood furniture, with his huge left foot hanging over the pink and white frilly bed frame at the ankle and his right leg hanging off the bed, bent at the knee. The man just seemed like a big-and-tall male Goldilocks trying to sleep in the baby girl bear's bed, and in my sleep-deprived brain, that image was just ticket to send me into a peal of giggles.

Eric opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow. "Is something about this situation… humorous?"

"Sorry! Sorry!" I said, trying to catch my breath. "You just do not fit in a twin bed made for girls!" I continued, trying desperately to stifle my giggles. All the stress of the evening had made me punchy.

"Yes—I have always been … much larger than average. Or so I am told." Eric grinned, knowing he just changed the entire course of conversation to his advantage.

I snorted, rolling with the change. "Well that's the understatement of the year. C'mon, Mr. 'Gracious Plenty', let's get you back into the big bed."

Eric grinned wider and waited for me to help drag him back to my room.

Panting and sweating, I finally got Eric back into the bed and settled. Thank god. I looked at the clock. 4:45am. The sun would be rising in under an hour.

"Eric...," I said in between gasps for air, " I gotta get... this second dose... in you before dawn." My breathing finally normalized and I looked over the tall vampire now more comfortably sprawled on my bed. "How you feeling? Nausea-wise, that is?"

Eric paused, leaning forward so I could remove the pillows and he could lie flat on his back before rolling over. "I feel better, though not well. I will not feed again tonight." After he had turned onto his stomach, he folded his arms and rested his head on them, watching me prepare the dose.

"I told Pam to tell anyone who questions my absence that you and I had gone away with each other." Eric stated simply.

"Yes," I said, trying to concentrate on flicking nonexistent bubbles out of the syringe, "I heard. The result of which will be that I am, as Pam put it, on 'house arrest', right?" I said with a slight note of irritation.

Eric looked regretful. "Yes, dear Sookie. It seems as my inconveniencing you has spread to daytime hours as well. Hopefully you will not mind being in my company while I am recuperating."

"I guess if Pam will get me food I can find things around the house that need to get done. And I _suppose _I can put up with your company this week." I said, smiling slyly at him and making sure to get rid of any outward irritation I felt. I was sure Eric felt bad enough as it was. I continued, "I need to watch that temperature of yours in the daytime anyway, on Dr. Ludwig's orders. Don't be too surprised if you wake up covered in wet towels 'cause you overheated." I warned, moving with the necessary supplies onto my knees and kneeling beside his rear-end on the bed.

"I will keep that in mind, Sookie. For my benefit though, if you plan on giving me a sponge bath," he waggled his eyebrows, leaning on his right elbow and turning his body sideways to look at me, "try to hold off until after sunset so I may _enjoy _it." He smiled, flashing a little fang, which told me NOT to look down from his face at what the front of his oh-so-thin silk boxers may be showing.

"No promises, Eric. On your stomach," I commanded lightly, grinning at his attitude.

I put the capped syringe down for a moment while I brought down one side of Eric's boxers, my fingers grazing the smooth skin of his hip as I did it, muscles rippling underneath my touch. _I should so not be turned on right now, _I admonished. _Focus on what you're doing. _I felt his body vibrate with a chuckle as I reprimanded myself. Damn blood bond—he can _feel_ all these emotions I'm feeling.

"Eric Northman, I have a sharp object and you're sitting pretty vulnerable right now. Don't you dare laugh at me!" I reprimanded, taking the angry route to counteract my embarrassment.

"Oh, my _lover_, I am at your mercy. Do with me what you will but _be gentle_," he said over his shoulder, practically purring the last request and still chuckling lightly.

I quickly swiped the appropriate area with the antiseptic wipe and as carefully as I could, administered the shot and replaced the boxers to where they belonged. After putting the used needle into the detergent bottle, I gave him a light swat on his other magnificent cheek to rebuke him for laughing at me and grinned down at him. He turned on his side, pulling me to him more forcefully than I thought he could muster at the moment and leaned to put his lips desperately close to my ear.

"You'll pay for that swat soon with a few _love taps _of my own." He whispered so softly and seductively that the hair stood up on the back of my neck.

I raised an eyebrow and met his eyes close to mine. "Is that a _promise_?" I asked, trying to match his smoldering tone. I could feel against my thigh that although overall his body was tired, at least _one_ part was raring for action.

"Ohhhh yes," he said simply, grinning and turning on his back and putting his hands behind his head in a contented pose, somewhat showcasing that one part.

I grinned and shook my head at the incorrigible vampire, ignoring his little 'display'. "Let's get you under the covers since it's almost dawn. You need to rest well to build up your strength."

He nodded resignedly and helped to get off the top of the comforters so we could put them on top. "Lover, you are exhausted too and in need of sleep just as much as I. Will you join me?" he asked, patting the bed next to him and looking at me invitingly.

"Can you behave yourself? You're in no condition for anything but rest, Eric."

"Scout's honor," he said, making some form of salute. I didn't know Vikings were also Boy Scouts. Who knew? I chuckled at the image of the giant vampire in a Boy Scout uniform, sash, patches and all.

Smiling, I conceded. "Well, alright then. Let me put on PJs and then I'll join you." I grabbed the same pretty pajamas that I had worn the previous night, ran into the bathroom, changed, brushed my teeth, took my own antibiotic pill and was out again in less than 5 minutes. Bed sounded so inviting at this late hour that I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. The fact that Eric was in the bed just compounded my desire to be in there. _It will be nice to have something to cuddle with for a change, _I thought. I slipped under the covers and Eric extended his arm for me to rest my head on and his other arm snaked around my waist. I hesitated, but I was soon wrapped up in Viking and I had to admit that it felt pretty good indeed. I sighed contentedly and laced my fingers with his resting on my abdomen, reflecting on the events of the evening.

How could I have ever guessed that we would end up like this, enjoying each other's company in my bed under such dismal circumstances? How would anyone believe me if I told them, not that I would?

After a few moments of enjoying the closeness of our bodies, I resignedly decided I should probably cover Eric up completely with the blankets to make sure no sunlight could come through the newly assembled and installed drapes.

I turned around in Eric's arms and whispered, "I'm going to pull the covers over your head, just in case some light gets through the drapes, okay?"

Eric gave a very slight nod, obviously starting to feel the pull towards sleep (or more like towards death? ...it always feels so odd to think of it like that seeing that vampires are so _lively_ at night). Eric's face looked so endearingly peaceful and handsome on the verge of sleep that I couldn't help but to lean over and brush my lips against his cheek before pulling away. He gave a very slight and soft moan at the contact from my lips but seemed to be too "under" to do much else.

I pulled myself out of the temporary comfort of Eric's now near-lifeless embrace to put the cover over the top of Eric's head and sat up to wait. I knew the moment I felt Eric fall dead limp beside me that the sun must have already risen, though no light penetrated the thick new shades.

After I was content with the quality of the shades, I settled back into my previous position, slinging Eric's arm back around my waist and re-entwining my fingers with his and fixed the comforter to cover our shoulders. It was wonderful lying here like this, and I only hoped that after this whole ordeal we were going through, we would be lying here like this after a night full of glorious lovemaking. That blissful thought carried me away to dreamland with a smile on my face.

* * *

**A/N- Thanks for reading! Please leave a review if you liked it!**

**New chapter soon!**

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

Title: "Florence Nightingale at Your Service, Viking"

Summary: When Eric succumbs to a rare vampire illness, he must rely on Sookie to care for him.

Rating: M (though mostly for last chapter)

Pairing: Eric & Sookie (_obviously_) :)

Disclaimer: The talented Charlaine Harris is the rightful owner and creator of this fabulous world of hers, including one Miss Stackhouse and one sexy Viking. I'm just toying with them a bit…

* * *

**A/N--- Here's another shorter one… I **_**promise **_**that the next one's longer and will go up soon! : ) Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews—they make my day! Sorry this has taken longer than expected to post!**

* * *

_**End of Chapter 9: **_

[Sookie moved Eric back to her bed as the sun was about to rise]

_I pulled myself out of the temporary comfort of Eric's now near-lifeless embrace to put the cover over the top of Eric's head and sat up to wait. I knew the moment I felt Eric fall dead limp beside me that the sun must have already risen, though no light penetrated the thick new shades. _

_After I was content with the quality of the shades, I settled back into my previous position, slinging Eric's arm back around my waist and re-entwining my fingers with his and fixed the comforter to cover our shoulders. It was wonderful lying here like this, and I only hoped that after this whole ordeal we were going through, we would be lying here like this after a night full of glorious lovemaking. That blissful thought carried me away to dreamland with a smile on my face. _

* * *

**Chapter 10**

I woke with my brain addled and my eyes bleary with sleep. Where was I? It's so dark… And whose heavy arm is this? A moment later, the events of the previous night came pouring back into me and my eyes searched for the red numbers of my alarm clock. _2:35pm. Holy Jesus, I slept 9 and a half hours_! I exclaimed in my head, alarmed after quickly doing the math. I untangled myself from Eric's heavy limbs and fumbled to turn on the light on my nightstand. I turned quickly to see how Eric was doing. _I shouldn't have let myself sleep so long, _I thought angrily. _I was supposed to be watching to make sure his temperature doesn't get too high._

Eric was still on his right side with his right arm extended from where my head had rested. He looked so serene and handsome lying like this on my bed that I had to keep reminding myself that even though he doesn't sweat or flush like a sick human does, he was still, indeed, ill. I put my hand to his cheek, then to his forehead to first gauge his temperature that way. _Warm. Very warm, _I thought nervously. _Crap._

I quickly spun around in my position on the bed, grabbed the thermometer and raised myself onto my knees. I turned Eric's lifeless head, knowing from experience that nothing short of screaming in terror and forceful blows to the face could wake him from his daytime rest, and brushed away his blonde locks to gain access to his left ear. The little thermometer display read 93.5 Degrees Fahrenheit. Damn it. _Way too close to the "do anything to cool him down" point for my comfort, _I thought nervously.

I decided that I needed to cool him down immediately, so I got a small bowl with cool water and two wash clothes in it and brought them both over to the bed.

"Sorry buddy," I said consolingly to Eric's unresponsive form, "I know you said no sponge baths without you being aware, but I'm guessing you probably wouldn't enjoy this one much anyhow."

I threw the blankets off Eric and struggled to peel off his tank top from his beautiful and _heavy _body, leaving him only in his boxers, and I set the bowl of water on the nightstand. I pushed at Eric's body until I got him lying flat on his back since being on his side wouldn't have worked at all. I wet one of the washcloths, squeezed it out, folded it and brushed it carefully over Eric's face, his neck and under his chin, finally placing it to rest on his forehead after gently brushing his hair out of his face. I followed the same procedure with the other washcloth, only this one I used to wipe every inch of flesh exposed to the air down with the wet cloth, leaving a thin film of water, mimicking sweat, on Eric's body. I climbed off the tall bed scuttled over to my closet. I rummaged through the pile of shoes and other debris until I found the fan that I had put away when the oppressive Louisiana summer heat had waned. I set the fan up to blow onto Eric's exposed body, knowing that when the water evaporated from his skin it would cool him off. _Hopefully that will do that trick_, I thought to myself. If not, I'll have to break out the ice packs and that would be even less pleasant to my poor, lifeless vampire.

While the fan ran continuously over his body, I tended to my own needs by jumping in the shower, very quickly shaving and washing my hair. When I hopped out and toweled myself off, I took my own dose of antibiotics with a big glass of water. I wrapped a bathrobe around me and put my hair up in a towel. I exited the bathroom and decided that I wanted to be sure Eric was okay before I left his side to go out and rustle up some food for myself.

I crawled back up on the bed and, with the thermometer in hand, I tipped his head slightly again and took his temperature, crossing my fingers as I waited the few seconds for the results. I sighed with relief, reading 90.2 degrees. I rewet each of the wash cloths and wiped down Eric's whole body again, hoping to bring his temperature down even more. After relaxing in Eric's situation, I felt comfortable leaving the room so I could go make some coffee, the elixir of life.

I was careful to slip through the new drapes around the door. After resealing the Velcro holding them together, I exited the room.

I set the coffee pot to percolate and decided to take inventory to see what I'd need Pam to get for me. I had almost a whole gallon of milk since Amelia bought it just before she left, and I realized that I actually could quite easily get by for the next four days without going food shopping since it was only me eating food in the house. Pam had gotten me enough TrueBlood, all in my blood type, type O negative (oh, _Pam)_, to last a vampire a month, I'm pretty sure. _Exactly how long did she think I'd be harboring her boss_? I wondered. _That Pam. _I'd think about what else I might need over the next couple hours, but I was pretty sure I was going to be able to tell Pam she need not trek out to Bon Temps tonight.

I glanced at my calendar as I waited for the coffee to finish perking and realized I was supposed to be working at Merlotte's in 2 days and I now had other obligations. I decided that I would not lie to Sam, but would not be exactly springing with information either. That would be safest and easiest for all parties involved. I grabbed the cordless phone and plopped myself into the easy chair, wanting to make myself sound as calm as possible by being comfortable. I pressed the speed dial for Merlotte's and listened as it rang and Sam picked up.

"Hello, this is Merlotte's. Sam speaking," Sam's gruff and endearing voice answered.

"Hey Sam, it's Sookie!" I said, happy to hear his voice after a long night the day before.

"Hey there Sook—thought you'd be off enjoying your days off without worrying about _work_! What's up?" He paused, then cautiously, said, "Hey, is everything ok?" a note of concern in his voice.

Darn that Sam. He always knew, even over the phone. What has my life come to that the second I call someone they automatically think I'm in some kind of crisis? Probably because, lately, that's been the case more often than not.

I sighed. "Yeah, Sam… things are... well, they _will_ be ok. I can't tell you more right now so please don't ask, but I have a big favor to ask of you." I said hesitantly.

"Uh oh. What is it Sookie? What do you need?"

"Welllll… I need Tuesday and Wednesday off, and maybe Thursday. I'll probably be able to explain why later but for right now, do you think you could just take my word for it that I wouldn't take off unless I had to?" I said, nervous to offend Sam. Sam had never been anything but trustworthy, but I didn't know how safe the phone lines were, and I especially knew Eric wouldn't want anyone to know the truth and I didn't want to betray his trust.

"Oh man, Sookie. I'm sure I can find someone to cover for you since Christmas shopping season is coming up soon and everyone wants extra spending money, but are you in some sort of trouble? Is it those vamps again? They're nothing but trouble for you, I swear. I wish I could just pull you out of their grasp once and for all." I could practically taste the agitation in his tone.

I was always touched by Sam's caring for me, though I couldn't help being a little annoyed at his constant attitude towards the vampires. Weres and shifters had gotten me in enough jams themselves, _thankyouverymuch_! Not wanting to sound catty right after Sam gave me permission to miss work, I swallowed back my retort.

"Actually Sam, I am not in any danger, but yes, they do need me."

"Hmph," Sam huffed, clearly with a 'yeah and I'll believe that when pigs fly' skepticism.

"Thanks so much for giving me the days off, Sam. If you need me to pick up anyone else's shifts after Thursday, let me know. Thanks a bunch!" I said, wanting this awkward conversation to be over.

"Bye Sook—listen, you be careful, you hear?" Sam said, concerned again.

"I promise, Sam. I'll call you if I need anything, I promise."

"Well, alright. Later, cher."

"Bye!"

I helped myself to a cup of coffee and sat at the kitchen table, breathing in the amazing aroma and allowing the caffeine to jump start my brain. As I sat relishing in the warmth and comfort of the beverage, my eyes caught the gleaming red of Eric's corvette outside in the sunlight. I groaned.

_That's really conspicuous if anyone comes near the house. It stands out from a mile away, _I reflected internally. Granted, Bill Compton was in South America again doing research for his project, so no company of his would be a concern for that reason, but I still felt exposed with it out there. I remembered a tarp my Gran had kept for another old car years back that would do just the trick. I rifled through the storage closet in the living room until I found the tarp in question. It was a hideous brown which I thought would perfectly disguise the sleek and beautiful Corvette.

I threw on my cranberry jacket over my bathrobe and slippers, laughing to myself at how I must look in my ensemble, and trotted out to the corvette to wrestle the tarp over it. I mused that if I kept running outside wearing minimal clothing as I was at present, I'd end up in the bed sick WITH Eric, but this had to get done so I moved as quickly as I could so I could get back inside in the warmth. When I was sufficiently satisfied with the coverage, I nodded to myself and went back in the back door, locking it as I went in.

Satisfied I had completed all the chores I needed to that day before Eric woke, I got myself some more coffee in a travel mug, some toast, a sandwich for later, a bottle of water and my Pride and Prejudice VHS set and carried my loot back into the bedroom, slipping back through the curtain and resealing it. I put the items on my dresser and grabbed up the thermometer and hopped on the bed to check to see how the fan was helping with Eric's temperature.

Eric had not moved since I left his side not long ago, and though this fact should be not surprising to me as I get to know vampires more and more intimately, this felt alien to me since humans would typically move around in their sleep. I lifted the cool washcloth off of Eric's forehead and put it back in the bowl of cool water on the bedside table. I tucked his hair behind his ears, gently turned his head to expose his ear, and used the borrowed device in my hand on my patient. It read 88.6 degrees Fahrenheit and relief flooded my body. I was finally comfortable enough to take the damp towel off Eric's forehead and just leave the fan on Eric while I relax and drink my coffee.

Still in my bathrobe with a towel on my head, I quickly hung it up both up and slipped on a pair of dark jeans, a sheer white lace bra and a white scoop neck shirt, going for casual but pretty. I smiled at my reflection. Hey, just 'cause Eric's sick doesn't mean I have to look like _I_ am, right? I retrieved my brush and my romance novel from the bathroom, got my coffee and my toast from the dresser, and I settled on the bed to relax beside my poor, ill, shirtless and boxer-clad vampire.

* * *

**A/N—Next chapters will be longer! Thanks for reading!**

**Reviews are better than shirtless and boxer-clad Viking vampires! (ok…being real here, maybe they're a very close second?) Regardless… please leave me one if you liked it! :)**

**Updates coming soon!**

* * *


	11. Chapter 11

Title: "Florence Nightingale at Your Service, Viking"

Summary: When Eric succumbs to a rare vampire illness, he must rely on Sookie to care for him.

Rating: M (though mostly for last chapter)

Pairing: Eric & Sookie (_obviously_) :)

Disclaimer: The talented Charlaine Harris is the rightful owner and creator of this fabulous world of hers, including our favorite telepath and one sexy Viking Vampire. I'm just toying with them a bit…

* * *

**A/N- Thank you again to everyone who left reviews on the last chapter! Reviews make me happy and make me write faster! ******

**As promised, this chapter's longer and I'm a fan of it… hope you are too! **

* * *

_**End of Chapter 10:**_

_Still in my bathrobe, I quickly hung it up and slipped on a pair of dark jeans, a white lace bra and a white scoop neck shirt, going for casual but pretty. Hey, just 'cause Eric's sick doesn't mean I have to look like I am, right? I retrieved my brush and my romance novel from the bathroom and got my coffee and my toast from the dresser, and I settled on the bed to relax beside my poor, ill, shirtless and boxer-clad vampire._

* * *

**Chapter 11**

Three hours, my hair combed out and 7 chapters later, I felt the bed stirring and realized that it must be nearing sundown since Eric was obviously waking. I put my book down on the bed beside me and watched Eric slowly reanimate, and my heart sank when, after about 5 minutes from the first stirring, Eric began to groan. He felt _miserable. _I was sideswiped by the weakness, nausea and just general misery that were my poor blood-bonded vampire. I tried to send soothing vibes but I knew that wasn't going to do much good so I settled on lightly stroking his forearm with my fingertips to bring him back into the world.

Eric slowly came to, squinting at me with a frown on his face. I looked at him with eyes full of pity—I remember waking up miserable, either because of a hangover or because of the flu, and it's no fun at all to start your day (or night) like that.

"Sookie..." Eric said in a whisper. "What is _wrong _with me?" He tried to lift himself up and didn't quite make it, falling back on his elbows. I piled the pillows behind him and helped him to sit up and lean against them by heaving upwards with my hands under the vampire's armpits. He sighed as he leaned back, rubbing his face with his hands in an oddly human gesture.

"You're still sick, Eric, remember? The doctor said you would probably feel pretty lousy today. What do you feel?" I spoke in a soft voice since I knew he'd hear me anyhow.

"Ughhh."

"That good, huh?" I deadpanned.

"I don't remember _ever _feeling this sick, even in my days as a human… though probably if I were to have been this sick as a human I would have died as medicine was scarce back then." Eric said with a grim expression on his face.

Then he turned to me and annoyance prickled at the bond and I picked up on anger laced in his voice with his next words. "What did you _do_ to me today? All I remember of my rest was feeling desperately cold…Couldn't you just leave me alone and let me sleep?"

_Annoyed?_ I thought, my own anger building in me, _How dare he be annoyed at me? _I copped an attitude right back.

"Oh, well, you know, I just decided 'Hey, let's torture Eric while he's sleeping since I'm trapped in the house all day.' What do you _think_ I did? You ran a fever of 93.5 and I had to get it down, so I propped up that fan," I said pointing to it and he took in his surroundings, "and wet down your whole body_, twice,_ to drop it to the 88.6 it was the last time I checked."

Eric's weary body had turned his mood sour, which had in turn brought out the angry sarcasm in me. _This was a slippery slope down_, I thought, _but to hell with backing down._

"So you had to freeze me to death while I was trying to recuperate?"

"First, you're already dead," I countered bluntly. "Second, I didn't _know _you'd even be able to feel it. _Third_, I had to get your temperature down somehow! And speaking of which, I need to check to see what your temperature is to see if I have to do it _again _now that you're awake," I said, sticking my jaw out and holding my chin up, waiting ready for his response.

He growled deep in his chest but said nothing, looking in a decided "other" direction in the bedroom.

"Hmph," I said under my breath, ignoring the menacing-sounding growl and grabbing the thermometer before I crawled over to him.

"Turn your head," I commanded unsympathetically. Yeah, I knew he was sick, but that's no excuse to be rude to the one taking care of you! Later I would recognize that I was showing my own form of immaturity, but hindsight's 20/20, right?

He growled again, glaring at me out of the corner of his eye but turning just enough so I could check his temperature. "89.1 Degrees. Fine for now." I said after putting the thermometer back on the nightstand, satisfied but still angry.

"Are you nauseous?" I asked.

"No."

"Yes, you are—I can feel it. I need to give you your antibiotics and the nausea medication so you can drink something. You're not going to build up any strength if you don't drink anything."

Eric crossed his arms, still not looking at me. "Where is my phone?"

Puzzled out of my stubborn anger for a moment, I thought where it could be. "I dunno… your jacket pocket maybe? Where do you keep it?"

"Pants pocket. Bring it to me." Eric said, toneless.

I sat still and lifted an eyebrow, crossing my own arms. Eric turned to me slightly, feeling I hadn't moved, and gritted his teeth. "_Please_."

I huffed, climbing off the bed and searching his pockets until I found it. I brought it over to him and placed it in his outstretched hand. Eric instantly began surfing through his various emails and text messages his shiny new Blackberry held for him, ignoring me completely. I sat in the ex-boyfriend chair in the corner, glaring at him, until I gave up and started to set up the syringe with the next dose of antibiotic. I had to get it in Eric in the next half an hour if I wanted to follow Dr. Ludwig's directions to the letter. While I was at it, I also loaded the syringe for the nausea medication because even without Eric admitting it, I could feel his queasiness plain as day coming through the bond, and quite frankly it was starting to make _me_ nauseous.

When I was all done and ready, I looked at the clock. Twenty minutes until the hour was up. "Eric," I called firmly, standing next to the bed. He ignored me and continued to scroll through his phone. I thought he might even be reading absolutely nothing and just scrolling as an excuse not to look at me. At that moment, I didn't particularly care.

"Eric, put the goddamn phone down so I can get this over with."

Anger. From both of us. Swelling the bond. Fucking fantastic.

"Leave me ALONE, woman!" he yelled at me, his fangs partially descended and his expression looking threatening with his slightly glowing eyes.

I would not be intimidated by his little vampire fireworks. I put the needles, recapped, down and shifted my stance so I put my weight on one hip and my hands on both hips. Was I being stubborn? Yes. Was I going to back down and _heel? _Hell no. "No Eric. I don't follow orders like the rest of your _retinue._ I need to follow your doctor's orders—not yours—and that's what I'm going to do. I'm not your servant or your employee so stop fucking treating me like one."

"I'd _rather_ have an employee right now. At least they would know when to leave me alone." He shouted back, eyes blazing.

"Oh?" I said, raising my eyebrows almost to my hairline. "You'd RATHER have someone who takes care of you ONLY because of the amount of money they're being paid? Really? That does NOT sound like the self-preservationist Eric Northman that I know. It sounds like the pouting 9-year-old boy that doesn't want to take his medicine Eric Northman has become this evening. The Eric Northman _I _recognize knows that if you pay someone for their loyalty, you could end up staked in your sleep if the other guy pays them more. Or even in your wakefulness right now, Eric-- 'cause I'll tell you, it sure doesn't seem like you'd be able to fight off another vampire right now."

Eric looked infuriated, confused, and frustrated, and all of these were coming in loud and clear through our connection.

I continued. "If you'd _rather_ be taken care of by some employee, please, by all means, call them to come pick you up. I'd be happy to follow your instructions and _leave you alone_ to your phone book._" _And with that, I stomped out of the room. Stupid proud, sick vampires.

I threw myself into the easy chair, frustrated with myself for losing my temper and with Eric for bringing me to that point. I felt Eric's unbridled anger coursing through him, but 5 minutes later I began to pick up on feelings of remorse, and I was sure that both of us were feeling our own share of it. I considered that Eric probably just lashed out at me because I was _there_ and he wanted to take his misery out on _someone._ I resented Eric's choosing me to be that someone and that would be something we'd have to talk about.

But I was not making the first move—I would at least stand my ground on that. After all I planned to do to sacrifice to take care of Eric this week, I get it thrown in my face that I did just that? I don't think so. I felt in myself residual anger, remorse, frustration for losing my temper, and a sadness I hadn't expected. A tear slid down my cheek without my even realizing it was forming, and as it did, the phone rang. I swiped the evidence off my cheek, dragged my body off the couch and slouched over to the phone, picking it up without reading the number on the caller ID screen.

"Hello?" I answered impassively with a rough voice.

"Please come back in." said an even more listless and sad sounding voice.

"Why? So you can yell at me again for taking care of you?" I said snippily, though my mood lifted to hear his voice. As I talked I moved closer to the bedroom like a bee to honey.

"I am sorry, lover. Please come back in. I will be good, I promise." His voice sounded so soft and defeated that it damn near broke my heart, and I walked back into my bedroom, through the curtains, with the phone still in my hand.

My eyes fell upon him as I walked through the curtains, and he put down the phone as he saw me, relaxing a bit against the pillows propped against his back.

I decided I'd start talking first, clicking the phone off and leaving it on the dresser. "You know, I don't _enjoy_ seeing you miserable, and even less do I like being the cause of your temporary discomfort. BUT since I kind of like you _undead_ rather than _finally_ _dead, _I'm going to do what I can to keep you that way, even if it means having to step on your pride a little." My face softened as I looked at him and his absolutely miserable expression. I walked to the bed and perched there lightly, looking into his face.

After a few minutes, Eric looked away and we sat in silence for a good 5 minutes.

Finally breaking the silence, Eric spoke.

"How did I get into this mess?" Eric asked to the room, very softly. It reminded me of when I asked a similar question sitting by the fire after an amnesiac Eric was placed in my care by Pam and Chow through the scheming of my brother, Jason.

"You fed from some exotic diseased fangbanger, that's how. Now you know how we humans feel having to deal with STDs out there." I said matter-of-factly, though there might have been a hint of something else in my tone I couldn't quite place.

Eric raised an eyebrow. "Are you…jealous?" he asked with a slight smirk.

"No!" I said with indignation in my voice. I paused. More softly, "…maybe."

"Ha!" Eric said, still quiet but looking slightly more cheered. He still spoke slowly but with more clarity. "She was nothing to me, Sookie. In fact, I haven't been feeding on anything other than True blood since the night of the takeover other than this one female—Victor was taunting me in front of an audience that I would not take a lover or feed on other humans because you had 'defanged' me." Anger and indignation flared in the bond. "I knew I must at least feed to keep my reputation and I chose her as she was the least objectionable in the crowd at my feet."

My eyes narrowed. Although the first part of that statement was _extremely_ interesting considering Eric's well-known distaste for Trueblood, I overlooked this to make a point. "Doesn't it make you a little suspicious that she just happened to be there, infected with a rare disease that could kill you, begging for your attention at the very time that Victor Madden decides to publically torment you?"

Eric fell silent, contemplating my question. "I... I hadn't thought about it. I didn't fall ill until last night so I had no reason to question that there might be a connection."

"Maybe we should look into who the fangbanger is, where she came from, and maybe if someone paid her to be there? Maybe if you can get into her bank records it'll show if someone paid her a whole bunch of money in the last few weeks?"

"That is… a very smart move, Sookie," he said appreciatively. "Incidentally, this is why we all scoff at you when you call yourself a 'stupid barmaid'. You are anything but, my Sookie," he ended on a soft note.

I snorted. "Oh, so I'm _your_ Sookie now? Ten minutes ago you ordered me to leave you and declared that you'd rather have some nameless employee taking care of you, and now you're all about claiming me? Were you bipolar in your human life too?" I said with a resolute determination not to let him off the hook so easily.

"I am sorry for my anger earlier. You must understand that it is difficult for me to relinquish such control to a human, no matter how significant of a human. You were… 'pushing my buttons', I think is the phrase," he said with a remorseful expression on his face.

"Eric, I'm sorry that the way I acted made you feel like I stepped on your big proud vampire toes, but I have to take care of you, and as much as you hate it, you need taking care of right now. As soon as this week is up, you'll be back to being the big, powerful, scary boss-man vampire of Area 5, but for now, give me a break and try to make my job of taking care of you as easy as you can, will ya? I'm begging you." I desperately wanted to get past this argument but I was NOT going to fight with a petulant Eric for the next 4 days.

Even in his exhaustion, Eric had a devilish twinkle in his eye for a moment. "Lover, when I am better, you will _never _have to beg," he asserted, grinning.

I laughed. Laughing felt good, and the mood finally lightened. I theatrically sighed. "Promises! Promises…" I said wistfully, winking at him.

We fell into a much happier silence, and glancing around the room, I saw the clock and my face fell.

"Oh, shit, Eric…" and stopped because I didn't want to start anything again since we just resolved the first argument, but time was running out if I wanted to follow instructions. I picked up the hypodermic with the serum in it and a swab, meeting Eric's gaze with a hopeful expression.

Eric nodded. "It is okay, Sookie. I understand." He leaned forward slowly and shakily and I quickly put down the syringe and swab so I could help get Eric on his stomach. I took the pillows out from behind his back, threw them temporarily onto the other side of the bed, and with two hands wrapped around him on his back I eased him down flat in as smooth a motion as I could manage with his bulky frame so he didn't just flop back on the bed. Eric looked up into my eyes as he lay down and I was on my knees leaning over him. I felt a sweep of melancholy pass through him and I couldn't help but lean down and kiss his cheek.

Staying there, I looked into his tense, guarded expression, put my hand lightly on one side of his warmer-than-usual neck and whispered, "It's okay, Eric. You'll be okay, and we'll be okay. Try to relax and just concentrate on getting better." I gave him a small smile and brushed my lips on his cheek once more. I did, thankfully, feel him relax, giving me a small smile in return.

He helped roll himself over onto his stomach and rested his head on his folded arms with a neutral expression on his face. I tried to get it over as fast as I could, quickly pulling the quilt down to Eric's thighs and bringing Eric's boxers down just enough to expose the top right half of his beautiful derriere. I swabbed the antiseptic over the area, feeling Eric shiver beneath my touch. I uncapped the needle and my left hand gently held the skin to the side of the area while I pushed the medicine into Eric. He flinched very slightly as the needle went in, and I could only assume that any affect at all it had was because of his weak and vulnerable physical and emotional state at present. Just as quickly, I pulled up his boxers and replaced the quilt.

"Eric, can you turn on your side for me please?" I said softly, hoping he wouldn't protest.

Eric did so without objection and I leaned over him and swabbed his upper arm and gave him the nausea medication I knew he needed, as I was feeling first-hand his queasiness. I gently coaxed him with my hands back on to his stomach, so he rested his head back onto his folded arms. I laid down on my stomach beside him, leaning my own head on my bent left arm, turning my face to his. I tentatively stretched my right hand to him and, when I didn't get a rejection of contact from him, I lightly raked my nails over Eric's bare back and shoulders. The act was one of the most comforting things I remember my Gran doing when I was ill, and even when I was well I always considered it a soothing feeling. I hoped it would have that same effect for Eric.

"Mmmm." Eric moaned softly and closed his eyes as I continued lightly scratching his muscular back and I reached out to our connection to see what he was feeling. I picked up first and foremost a weariness that I NEVER associate with Eric, whose very air is so typically grandiose and full of life that it sparked with energy. I was thrilled that I could detect the nausea ebbing away from his being—I would be happy to see him feed soon so that disconcerting weariness could go and I could have the bold, flamboyant and infuriating Eric that I loved, yes, _loved_, back. As we lay like this, I also felt him relaxing into the silence of our company and perhaps the feeling of my hand on his back. It pleased me that Eric felt secure enough in me that he felt that he could relax in my presence while he was so weak. If we were going to be in an equal relationship, maybe this blasted sickness could do exactly what Pam had alluded to—keep us together alone long enough so we could "_work out [our] shit_" while I had him "_in captivity_." Eric already learned he could trust me from when Hallow and her witches left him in a mentally vulnerable state in my care a year ago, but now he was completely in my care and yet fully aware of what was occurring. I had to show him that we could have an equal relationship—that if I was his, he could be mine too.

I suddenly felt guilty for yelling at Eric earlier. Yes, he lashed out. Yes, he hurt me because I didn't feel appreciated. But I didn't have to rise to that anger and respond with my own for as long as I did.

Still continuing my hopefully soothing motions with my fingers on his back, I softly started speaking and Eric opened his eyes to fix his sapphire ones on my grey-blue eyes. "I really am sorry, Eric, for … "pushing your buttons" earlier. I've just been really worried about you all day and hated having to make you uncomfortable, even though I didn't know you could feel that when you're sleeping. I'm sorry for snapping at you. I should have more patience when you're sick and hurting." A guilty tear slipped from my eye before I realized it was even there and I hurriedly swiped at it.

Eric turned on his side and gently pulled me into his embrace, enveloping me in his big hulking body and stroked my back in the same way I was stroking his.

"You are forgiven," he said into my hair and my breath hitched and began to normalize.

We stayed in the comfort of the embrace for at least 10 minutes but Eric eventually pulled away. We both knew there were important things to be done.

"Lover, I must call Pam to tell her about your thoughts of a connection between the fangbanger and Victor Madden." I nodded.

He sat up shakily on his own and speed dialed Pam.

"Hello, my child" Eric said warmly to Pam.

A pause.

"Yes, I am fatigued but fine. While discussing the cause with Sookie, she came up with the most _intriguing _theory."

Eric proceeded to explain to Pam the possible connection between Victor and the fangbanger and asked Pam to dig up as much information on her as she can, including bank statements if she can get them.

Eric turned to me as I sat next to him. "What do you require Pam to buy for you in preparation for the coming days?"

This surprised me out of my private reverie. I had completely forgotten that Pam was supposed to be coming over and getting me supplies. This afternoon seemed like so long ago. "Oh... uh... actually I looked today and I don't need anything. She can spend her time looking into that woman instead."

Eric nodded, looking very pleased. "Excellent…," he responded to me and continued his discussion with Pam. "She does not require any supplies. I expect you to find as much as you can about this woman."

He paused, listening.

"Excellent, Pam. Call me when you have more information." Eric said, hanging up.

"Pam remembers the name of the vermin from her identification at the door. She has an excellent memory," Eric said with pride in his voice.

"Oh, wow! That's great! … Hey, can I get you a blood? Are you feeling well enough?" I asked hopefully.

"Yes, thank you, Sookie," he said, relaxing back into the pillows and closing his eyes.

I slipped out of the room and while in the kitchen, I heated one of the 4 remaining vials of my blood and I made myself a sandwich for dinner and got a glass of milk. I toted them all back, pausing to grab a movie on the way in, too. I figured I'd spare Eric Pride and Prejudice for now. I chuckled to myself, thinking of Eric watching the long, long BBC production, and thought that before he watches that, I'd have to subject him to Gone with the Wind (the Southern staple) so he could understand my "Scarlett and Rhett" comments.

"For now, though," I mumbled to myself, eyes scanning the titles and selecting 'The 40-year-old Virgin', "something funny." I smiled at the purposely creepy smile Steve Carell had on the cover of the VHS and brought it in with our food.

I handed the blood to Eric who took it eagerly and, after a long sip, softly moaned and closed his eyes.

"Lover, I am sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, but you are truly delicious."

"Uh... well... thanks Eric, I think," I said awkwardly, not really sure exactly how to respond.

"What did you bring in besides your food?" Eric asked, focusing on my hands.

"Oh, well, I figured if we're just going to be hanging out waiting for Pam to get back to us, we might as well watch a movie or something. Sorry all I have in here is this little TV—I'm sure you have a much bigger one at home but this was just a spare one Amelia gave me."

"Do not worry, dear Sookie. It is true, I have a large flatscreen television at home, but I very rarely use it now that vampires have revealed themselves, so the size of the television matters not. I have very good eyesight, after all."

"Oh, alright then! I grabbed a comedy," I said, trying to be cheerful for Eric, handing him the cover of the tape. "Have you seen it?"

"I have not," he said as I pushed the tape into the 20 inch TV's VCR and grabbed the remote. "An interesting title to the movie, though. Surely that is part of the… comedy?"

I hesitated, pressing the play button so the FBI warnings would play out. "Well, the movie is about a guy who's 40 years-old but is still a virgin."

I chuckled at the shocked look on Eric's face. "Forty YEARS? And he was not imprisoned during this time? He had his freedom and still went _forty years _without engaging in sex?"

I sighed exaggeratedly, trying to hide my grin. "You know, Eric, you CAN survive without it."

"Yes, lover, but what kind of existence is it?" he asked, grinning.

I lifted my own eyebrow. "Yeah, well, I can tell you that if you vampires didn't come along with your gloriously silent brains, I'd pretty much be, without a doubt, in this situation," I held up the box he handed back, "in 13 years. I made it 26 years without sex just fine," I asserted, slightly defensive of Steve Carell's character, though I couldn't explain to you why. "It's kind of a… well… you don't know what you're missing if you've never experienced it." I finished, blushing at my accidental confession.

What I didn't point out to Eric was that, one, I _did_ vicariously know the pleasures of sex from hearing it play all too often in the minds of half the goddamn people in Merlotte's at any given time (and way more than half in Fangtasia), and that, two, that unlike Steve Carell's character's pathetic social skills, my reason for not finding anyone to bed mainly stemmed from my ability to hear every potential mate's every thought and desire. If you think about it, you'd realize how hard it is to focus about your own pleasure when you hear the musings of how your partner wishes you were thinner, or more muscular, taller… or male. VERY distracting. No thank you. Thankfully, the vampire revelation ended the possibility of my going my whole life without knowing the joys of really good sex, and if there's one thing vampires are good for, it's REALLY GOOD SEX.

Eric turned to me, surprised. "You were… a ... virgin... for Bill?" He asked with an edge to his voice.

My face flushed at the recollection of the first wonderful time in bed, and I scowled at the subsequent remembrance of his cheating on me with his maker, Lorena. My brain THEN so kindly reminded me that this first experience was actually on order and paid for by the late Queen Sophie-Anne. This thought depressed me even more so I tried to push it out of my mind.

"Yes." I said, trying to unclench my teeth.

Eric sensed that he was on rocky ground as he was fully aware of the circumstances of Bill and my relationship and subsequent break up. "I … I did not know that he was your first man." He said thoughtfully. If I had to guess, I would say a cog just slipped into place in his mind explaining why I still refused to speak at length to Bill except under the direst of circumstances.

"It should have been me," he said simply.

I turned to him, confused and a little annoyed. "Hey, the only reason you know me at all is because Bill brought me to you. Even though he was only with me because he was gettin' _paid _to do it," I spat out in disgust, "doesn't mean you would have even known of my existence without Bill."

"If my queen had informed me of that plan of hers," he said with his own distaste evident, "it _would _have been me, and I could have spared you the pain of the discovery you experienced in New Orleans."

"Coulda, shoulda, woulda. What's done is done. I'm glad you made him tell me though. I hate being kept in the dark," I said, shadows crossing the expression in my eyes.

Eric switched angles in the conversation, thankfully sensing my darkening mood. "So...how was he in bed?" He elbowed me lightly in the side and grinned.

"None of your damn business, Eric," I grumbled, wanting desperately to drop the subject because, knowing Eric, he'd without a doubt take anything I say and throw it in Bill's face or plaster it across a billboard somewhere (or both). I could just imagine the billboards now…

"Better than me?" He waggled his eyebrows, obviously knowing the answer.

I snorted. "I doubt _Aphrodite herself_ is as good in bed as you."

He lowered his voice, looking around secretively. "Don't let _her_ hear you saying that," he said conspiratorially.

I chucked. "Fine. You're the best damn non-divine lay a girl could get, I'm pretty sure. Better?"

He preened.

I laughed.

This little conversation we had felt so much like the real Eric that it made some of the anxiety I was feeling over his illness flow out of me. We settled back and watched the movie, slowly slipping from sitting up on the bed and consuming our respective dinners to leaning on each other, and eventually ending up laying down in bed with my head in the crook between Eric's shoulder and chest with his arm wrapped around my shoulders. It was such an intimate position and we both accepted it so readily, I marveled at how technically we still hadn't discussed any thoughts of a relationship formally. _When he's better_, I promised myself, and went back to watching the movie and enjoying the closeness and calm I attributed with Eric's presence.

* * *

**A/N- Thanks for reading! I plan to finish this out even though Dead and Gone comes out tomorrow (Eeeeee!), so I hope there's still interest after it comes out!**

**Updates coming soon!**

_**Reviews are (almost) as good as cuddling in bed with a sick Viking vampire… Please leave me some!**_

**_

* * *

_**


	12. Chapter 12

Title: "Florence Nightingale at Your Service, Viking"

**Spoilers for Books 1-8-- Does not include Book 9**

Disclaimer: The talented Charlaine Harris is the rightful owner and creator of this fabulous world of hers. I'm just playing with my favorite characters of hers…

* * *

**Author's Note-- Well, much to apologize for on my end! I'm VERY sorry it's taken me so long to update this story! Thank you so much to those of you who sent PM's and reviews asking if all was well and gently encouraging me to continue! You guys rock!**

--Many excuses on my end for my absence, but they include (ahem…): being thrown for a loop when sad events of Book 9 made some later events difficult (_**hence why this story will have to take place firmly between Book 8 and 9**_), going to San Francisco without a computer, coming down with two, yes, two nasty colds (yes, I certainly felt for my treatment of Eric then!), and being up to my neck in papers to grade! I appreciate your patience! I'll do my best to get another chapter up in the next week—the end of the school year is always a hectic time.

**--Also, thank you so much to everyone who left a review on my last chapter! I loved each and every one of them, though I got very busy and fell behind in responding to them! :)**

And now, without further ado:

* * *

_**We last left our favorite blood bonded couple in the make-up phase of a fight where Eric claimed to prefer a nameless employee as a nurse to Sookie because Sookie doesn't follow his orders. Sookie defended her position as looking out for Eric's best interests, but conceded to herself that she would try to beware of damaging Eric's already bruised male ego. **_

_**Sookie also voiced concern over the possibility that Victor Madden set up Eric to feed off the diseased fangbanger, and Eric assigned Pam the task of investigating the whereabouts of the fangbanger. **_

_**End of Chapter 11**_

_I snorted. "I doubt Aphrodite herself is as good in bed as you." _

_He lowered his voice, looking around secretly. "Don't let her hear you saying that," he said conspiratorially. _

_I chucked. "Fine. You're the best damn non-divine lay a girl could get, I'm pretty sure. Better?" _

_He preened. _

_I laughed. _

_This little conversation we had felt so much like the real Eric that it made some of the anxiety I was feeling over his illness flow out of me. We settled back and watched the movie, slowly slipping from sitting up on the bed and consuming our respective dinners to leaning on each other, and eventually ending up laying down in bed with my head on the crook between Eric's shoulder and chest with his arm wrapped around my shoulders. It was such an intimate position and we both accepted it so readily, I marveled how technically we still hadn't discussed any thoughts of a relationship formally. When he's better, I promised myself, and went back to watching the movie and enjoying the closeness and calm I attributed with Eric's presence. _

* * *

**Chapter 12**

Eric and I were entwined in the bed watching the part of 'The 40 year old Virgin' where Steve Carell was attempting, unsuccessfully, to get his hairy chest waxed. Steve Carell's character's friend had just declared him to resemble a "man-o-lantern" due to Carell halting the procedure when the missing sections of body hair formed a smiley face pattern in his chest. As I was cringing at the scene and Eric was laughing his typical booming laugh (along with making comments regarding 'modern humans and their silly practices of unnecessarily removing their body hair'), Eric's phone blared to life.

Eric reached for it, still keeping his arm wrapped securely around my shoulders, checked to see that it was Pam, and answered. I hit the "pause" button on the remote so Eric could hear (though I'm sure he could hear perfectly well anyhow with his super-sensitive vampire hearing). Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was 7:15pm.

"Tell me what you have found," he commanded. He wasted no time, that one.

He paused, listening. His jaw clenched and his body grew tense.

"I see. You are sure?"

Eric paused again.

"She is believed to be in Alexandria now? Have you discovered the location of her residence?"

After hearing Pam's answer, "Yes, go now. Take Thalia and anyone else you see fit. Leave Clancy in charge at Fangtasia. You have precious little time to find her and bring her here. Do whatever you have to do to get her here to Sookie's before dawn. We will extract the information we need here in one way or the other." He paused, adding, "Remember not to feed from her," and hung up.

I didn't like the sound of "extract information ... in one way or the other". I hoped that _my_ "way" would be the only way necessary, because frankly I was getting tired of having to scrub blood stains out of my wood floors and I'm kind of fond of my current area rugs. I was then instantly horrified with myself at the fact that I wasn't exactly against torturing this woman, but I just didn't want to do the extra cleaning involved. What happened to my ever present sense of morality that I put my concerns for an area rug above another human life? _I need to go to church twice this week for this and reconsider my morals_, I chastised myself.

"Pam located Giang Phan," (her first name pronounced 'yaahng),' "living in Alexandria for the last few months. Search of her bank records show that $10,000 was deposited into her bank account last week with an unnamed check from an overseas banking account. Pam and Thalia are… retrieving… her and bringing her here so you can read her and find out who paid her."

I glanced at the clock again. It was 7:20pm. Alexandria was only about two hours away, but if they took a few hours to find her, it would certainly be cutting it close.

"If they can't find her, do they have a place to go to ground for the day?" I asked nervously.

Eric looked at me, coming out of his train of thought. "We have survived for many years knowing how to avoid the dawn, lover. I do not worry for their safety, though I find myself anxious to have the whore here soon so we may find pertinent information before it is too late." His expression was held in the typical vampire poker face, but I could feel tension coming through the bond.

I thought of something. "Eric, if you're worried about being attacked soon, should we call Niall? You know… to see if he could help protect us?" _Or me and whatever company I was with,_ I amended in my head.

Eric read between the lines to know what I was thinking. "I do not think that would be wise at this point. I do not wish to tell anyone unnecessarily about my weakened state, and I _really_ do not wish to be indebted to a fairy, even if he is your great-grandfather," he said frankly in a serious tone indicating he would not compromise on this fact.

Annoyance trickled through me. I shifted in my position between his arm and his body to look him in the face. He looked down at met my gaze with unreadable eyes. "Yes, but Eric, if you're dead, and I mean completely and finally dead, it won't help that you don't have any debts. And besides, I can make it a favor to _me_ anyway, because I'm sure if someone comes to kill you, they'll have no problem killing your _blood-bonded nurse _while they're at it_._"

Eric kept his face locked down, thinking. "No, I think I'd rather not involve the fae where they need not be involved." I narrowed my eyes but he continued.

"If Victor Madden is indeed behind this plan to weaken me, which I believe is the case, I do not think the King knows of his plans. If I had to place a bet, I'd say that Victor is priming himself to take advantage of Felipe's distance and his own relative power with his current holdings in this state in order to take over Louisiana. If this is the case, Felipe will be livid and will seek immediate retribution from Victor. Felipe is a ruthless vampire when betrayed, believe me, Sookie. However, involving the fae could start a war and Felipe may have to align himself with vampires, even traitorous ones, against the fae."

"How do you know Felipe de Castro isn't behind this?" I asked nervously. My body was tense as all get-out with my hope that Eric had a good reason for not suspecting that this plot went all the way up to the top of the current power scheme.

"I cannot be positive, Sookie, but I believe that since he let me live that night of the takeover, he has no reason to go back on this decision, especially after his granting you protection in return for saving his life from the wrath of Siebert. I think he also acknowledges that I am a powerful and efficient sheriff, and perhaps has also deduced that I have no desire to be king. And besides—if Felipe de Castro wanted me dead, he'd just send a small army of vampires to stake me." He shrugged at this last statement. "This," he gestured at his body, indicating the illness, "is simply not his _style,_" he added with a grim smile as I shuddered at the thought of Eric being staked.

I thought about this and I had to agree. "You obviously have been spending a lot of time thinking about this stuff…" I remarked, pleased to see that even though Eric was physically weak he was still on the ball strategy wise.

"I did not get to be over 1000 years old by putting my head in the sand, my Sookie," Eric's wry smile playing on his lips.

"And I guess you're right about the Niall thing," I said glumly. "I just hate feeling useless in an attack—'cause I guarantee I will be of no help if someone comes to hurt us. All I can do is have my witch housemates set wards on the house."

"That will have to be enough, Sookie. You have been a great help to me in this situation and for that I am truly grateful." His expression softened to me and he grasped my hand lightly. "Soon I will not need protection. Shall we finish the film?"

I knew he was just trying to get me off the subject of Niall. "Oh, before we start it up again, do you want some more blood?" I asked, hoping I could convince him to have some more to build up his strength.

Eric nodded and I skipped out of the room to heat up one of the last three vials left. I brought it back to him and watched as he eagerly took it and sipped like a heroin addict getting his first fix in a long time. I was flattered, but it was still odd to be so… revered?

I hopped back on the bed and we continued watching the movie, laughing and sliding back into our previous position of lying down when Eric had finished his meal.

As the movie credits started to roll while the cast pranced around singing "Age of Aquarius," I noted that the second glass of blood made him look less drawn and brought a slight flush to his face, making him look less pale and ill. I reached up to his face, feeling his cheek with the back of my hand to check for fever. I pursed my lips when he felt warmer than before and Eric met my eyes and understood, turning his head and wordlessly granting access to his ear. Relieved at avoiding an argument, I grabbed the thermometer off the nightstand and took his temperature once again. 92.9 degrees Fahrenheit. Damn it.

"Eric, you're running a fever of 93 degrees. It's not an emergency yet, but we should probably get it down. How'd you feel about a bath? It wouldn't be hot, of course—lukewarm more like, but… well, what do you think?" I asked, trying to give him options to make him decide his own treatment. 'Mission: Sidestep Vampire pride' progressing nicely.

"Will you join me in it, lover?" Eric asked, leering slightly.

I snorted. "As much as joining your 6'5 frame in my one person bathtub full of lukewarm water sounds appealing, I think I'll pass," I said, laughing at the mental image of both of us trying to fit in my little tub.

Eric scowled. "If we were in MY home, lover, we would have plenty of room for the both of us, with some to spare. I have a very large whirlpool in my bathroom that would grant us space to do whatever we like together in it," he said with a leer more pronounced this time.

A flash of anger coursed through me before I could get it under control. This comment had touched a nerve. My brows furrowed. "Yeah, well great. _SO sorry _that my old farmhouse doesn't have a luxury bathtub for you to sprawl in," I said sarcastically.

Eric rolled his eyes at my sensitivity. "Lover, I was merely mentioning it for future reference. I didn't mean to insult your home."

I sighed and tried to suppress any residual anger I felt from my reflex reaction. "Fine, fine. Besides, we need to get you _cooled down_, and I doubt you'd have the energy to do much besides lay in the tub anyhow." I said, wanting to bring him back to the issue at hand. With that, I hopped off the bed.

"I'm gonna go run the water. I'll come get you when it's done. Got anything against lavender?" I asked, grinning and winked at him. The thought of the big bad Viking lying in lavender-scented bubbles made me have to repress a giggle.

Eric grinned back. "Lover, if it will make me smell as luscious as you did a few nights back when you answered the door in nothing but your towel, then that would be _perfect_. It will serve to remind me of you in _that_ state." Eric winked back and turned his smoldering eyes towards me.

_Touché, _I thought, defeated in the teasing game I initiated. The quick intake of breath

and the sudden weakness in my knees at the surge of arousal coming from one or both of us (who knows at this point?) gave me away as losing this particular round of verbal sparring and the impulse to giggle was replaced by one to pant. I quickly slid backwards into the bathroom before my blush could creep up into my face and give away my reaction even further to his words. While I typically react by rolling my eyes and changing the subject, his comments regarding his desire for me do make me feel attractive, and as any girl can tell you, that's never a bad thing. A real relationship with Eric will make my life all sorts of complicated, but who doesn't want to be desired by a gorgeous sex god?

I turned on the water and adjusted it to a lukewarm temperature, squeezing some of the lavender bath bubbles in. I felt bad not making it nice and warm and inviting, but that would defeat the purpose of this bath for Eric, so I guess he'd have to deal with it. Vampires don't get cold in the same way humans do anyhow, so I reasoned with myself that I shouldn't feel too bad about it. I turned the water off when it was full and walked back into the bedroom.

"Alright Eric, it's all set. Let's get you in, shall we?" I said with a grin slightly larger than normal, holding out my arm to offer him support at the waist. I tried to make my helping him into the tub something I was forcing on him so he didn't have to swallow his male vampire pride and ask for help. I decided that whatever I can do to make this easier at this point I'll do.

Eric eyed my arm, slid his legs around to the side of the bed, and grudgingly accepted my help getting up. His arm slid across my shoulders and he leaned heavily on me as we made it slowly and ungracefully into the bathroom.

I glanced at the silk boxers he was wearing, knowing they'd have to come off but having no idea how to do it without feeling uncomfortable. I went for enthusiasm.

"Alright, big boy, I promise not to peek—strip and get in," I said, smiling and making a show of covering my eyes.

Eric chuckled and leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Sookie, you should know by now that vampires aren't modest in the slightest, but if it makes YOU more comfortable not to be reminded of more…. entertaining… things we could be doing, I _completely _understand."

A chill ran down my spine and my hands dropped to my sides just as Eric sank into the soapy water with a sigh. I was grateful for the bubbles that gave him a little privacy and let me relax a little too. I grabbed a washcloth from under the sink and handed it to him.

"Is there anything else I can get for you?" I asked, (mostly) hoping he'd be able to bathe on his own.

"No thank you Sookie, I can _handle_ this part myself." Eric grinned and leaned back, closing his eyes.

I sighed, relieved. Don't get me wrong, when Eric was all better, I'd be HAPPY to perform the task of 'helping him bathe' (and in fact just the thought gave me a flash of heat through my lower abdomen) but I knew that if I had to do this for Eric now, the only result would be both of us ending up hot and bothered and cranky because we were unsatisfied.

"Will you need help washing your hair? Shampoo and conditioner are in that little basket there," I said, pointing at the bottles in the back corner of the tub.

Eric glanced in the direction of my gesture and looked back at me, grinning. "I'm fine, lover. I will let you know if I require any assistance when you return."

"Okey dokey! I'll come back in…what do you say…15 minutes to help you get out?"

Eric nodded in agreement at the time frame and I left the bathroom, quietly closing the door on the way out. I knew he needed some privacy for the sake of his sanity so I was more than happy to give it to him. Thinking briefly on what needed doing, my eyes spotted the bag that Pam had packed for Eric that was nestled on the floor by my dresser. I walked over to it, grabbed the large chocolate brown leather duffel bag and brought it to the bed.

I could feel right away that the bag was most likely very expensive, as the leather was soft but the whole piece was durable. I unzipped the big metal zipper and revealed the exceptionally neatly packed clothes that Pam had provided. I pulled out a Fangtasia t-shirt, a soft pair of light blue lounge pants, and finally selecting a black pair of boxer briefs because, okay, I'll be honest, I knew they'd look damn sexy on him. There were both boxers and boxer briefs packed which struck me as very odd. So far, in all the time I've known Eric, I've seen him in silk boxers, tiny red bikini briefs, and now boxer briefs. Don't men usually just pick one style and stay with it? I'd have to ask Eric at some point in time that I'm comfortable broaching the quintessential "Boxers or briefs?" question with him.

After I had laid out Eric's clothes, I looked around the room and straightened a little bit to pass the time. I picked up little pieces of antiseptic swab wrapping and tossed them out, then I organized the remaining needles and medicine vials. I tucked Eric's bag back next to the dresser and glanced up at the clock. The 15 minutes were up.

I knocked lightly.

"Come in."

I poked my head in and my eyes searched out my patient sprawled in the tub, his arms on either side of the tub walls. "Hiya Eric—how you doin' in here?"

"I believe I am ready to get out, Sookie."

"Okey doke," I said, coming in with my tense smile plastered on my face and leaving the door open behind me.

"How was your bath?" I asked. I kept my eyes trained on his face since the bubbles that had provided Eric privacy earlier had all but vanished. I sank down on my knees next to the tub and folded my arms on the tub wall, looking up at Eric.

"It was fine, lover, but I will be happy to be in a larger tub with warm water and some _company_," he smiled coyly at me, "when I'm well."

I couldn't deny that Eric looked a bit oversized in my standard sized tub—his knees poked out of the water a bit too much to look comfortable. It sort of reminded me of those clowns riding the tiny tricycles, their knees up around chest level. I reached into the water and flicked some at him for his "company" comment, grinning at him.

Eric smiled mischievously at me. "Lover, I am already wet, as you can see." He motioned to his certainly _wet_ body, though I didn't take the bait to scan the alluring line of his very exposed body under the bathwater. He continued, "_You_, however, are quite dry. What makes you think splashing a vampire would be a good idea when you yourself are in such a state?" Eric all of a sudden had a devilish glint in his eye, and before I could straighten up and back away from the tub, Eric had seized me by the belt loops and pulled me, clothes and all, into his very naked lap and the cold water with a _splash_.

I squealed and I automatically tried to fling myself back out of the tub, though not before I felt the water quickly saturating me from shoulders to knees, soaking through my jeans and my white shirt. Out of impulse I looked down and realized that I was suddenly in a wet t-shirt contest, my white lace bra shining through my wet shirt like a beacon and my breasts were CLEARLY indicating how cold the water was. _Faaaaantastic._ I scrambled out of the water like a wet and angry cat, pushing my hands against Eric's hard chest, slapping his pecs, which were shaking with laughter, as I used him to push off to get up since it was his fault we were there to begin with. Even though Eric was weak, I knew that HE knew he only had had to pull lightly on the belt loops of my jeans to send me sailing into the water with him.

I stood, dripping and feeling heavy with the weight of my soaked clothing and scowled at Eric's continued boisterous laughing. For the moment I decided to pretend I wasn't basically topless with my white shirt soaked through to the skin and my sheer lacy bra not offering much coverage.

"Ohhh LOVER, that was an EXCELLENT choice of bra this evening." Eric said, still amused and obviously trying to push my buttons.

"Get the hell out of the tub, Viking," I growled at him, though I had to hide the smile that broke out on my face at the situation as I crossed my arms and turned around to give him privacy.

I grabbed a fluffy white towel and handed it behind my back as Eric hoisted himself out of the tub by the handle my Gran had installed back when this was her bathroom and, though spry as she was, she had required help getting out of the tub in the last few years of her life.

I felt Eric take the offered towel and I waited a few moments before turning. I turned around just as Eric had it wrapped securely around his waist. I breathed in sharply. Sick or not, Eric was simply magnificent. Tall and handsome, with small beads of water he missed on his chiseled physique and running off the tips of his wet long blonde hair, I radiated arousal before I could control it. Eric chuckled but said nothing, though his chuckle turned into a loud and deep cough as laughing often does when you're sick. He leaned over as he coughed and put one large hand on his towel covered knee while the other fisted in front of his mouth. I was instantly by his side, placing a hand lightly on the small of his back to let him know of my presence beside him. His coughing subsided and he straightened, putting his arm around my shoulders as mine slid around his bare waist. I helped him back to the bed slowly and with increasingly more effort the closer we got to the bed.

"I picked some clothes out for you out of the bag Pam packed—do these look ok? I just picked out the ones that looked most comfortable," I said softly, gesturing to the clothes laid out on the bed next to him.

"They look fine, Sookie," he said after glancing at them briefly. He slowly reached for

the t-shirt as though his arms weighed a thousand pounds.

The sluggishness of his retrieving the shirt raised a flag. "Do you need help getting dressed?" I asked, registering that his movements retrieving his t-shirt appeared very slow and sluggish.

Eric hesitated, pursing his lips and glancing at the other articles of clothing. I reached out to Eric's emotional state, and I was surprised all over again with the sudden waves of exhaustion, mixed with no small amount of embarrassment, that were radiating from him. It was odd how Eric seemed one moment to be almost back to normal, having the strength to laugh and pull me into the tub with him, and then the next moment would suffer from inescapable exhaustion. Maybe that was the nature of the disease. Maybe coughing drained his energy since it wasn't a common occurrence? Who knew? Surely not I. I'd try to remember to ask Dr. Ludwig when she comes to see Eric next.

Reading this extreme fatigue, I quickly jumped to help so Eric didn't have to ask or admit out loud his weakness.

"It's alright, Eric, honey. Here." I took the shirt swiftly out of his hands and faintly realized with alarm that I just called Eric "honey". I hoped he didn't pick up on that or I'd never hear the end of it.

"Put your arms in there," I said softly, pretending I said nothing out of the ordinary as I guided each of his arms through the armholes and thrust the shirt over his head. Next I grabbed the boxers, and, trying to ignore the flush that claimed my cheeks, I threaded his big feet through the leg holes and brought them up to his mid thigh. I allowed him to pull them into place and repeated the movement with the lounge pants.

I sighed in relief as Eric was clothed, though a shiver ran down my spine as the chill from my damp clothing finally made its presence known against my skin. I put my hands on Eric's shoulders to guide him back into laying down on the bed, and he leaned back on the pillows and closed his eyes, unnecessarily sighing as I pulled the comforter up to his shoulders.

After he was situated, I was content to divest myself of the cold and wet clothing. I quickly peeled the soaked jeans from my frame, wrestling them from suctioning to my body, and threw them in a heap to go in the wash. In a jiffy, my wet top joined the pile. I was just about to go for my lace bra, my hands reached around my back and hands on the clasp, when I felt a wave of lust that I knew could not be mine, and I turned around to see Eric watching with rapt attention sporting a small smile.

"I should throw you into cold water more often, lover, if it entices you to strip for me…" he said quietly but confidently.

I stuck my tongue out at him and quickly grabbed my bathrobe from the hook on my closet door and covered my near nudity, embarrassed at my inadvertently putting on a show for Eric thinking he would be resting.

I grabbed underwear, ankle socks, a black pair of yoga pants which I knew were both comfy and hugged my curves in all the right places, a long sleeved v-neck red cotton shirt that I knew would be the perfect combination of cleavage and comfort and ran into the bathroom to change.

When I exited, I sat lightly on the bed next to Eric and he opened his eyes to look at me.

I put the back of my fingers on his forehead, both wanting to touch him and to check his temperature. He felt cooler than before the bath, thankfully.

"You are a beautiful woman, Sookie," Eric said softly with half closed eyes.

I smiled, marveling at the subdued Eric before me. "You're not bad either, Eric." I reached over and carefully picked up the thermometer as Eric's eyes closed.

I very gingerly turned Eric's head, whispering "I'm going to take your temperature, okay?" He nodded his consent very slightly and I gently took his temperature. 87.6 Degrees Fahrenheit. I sighed, relieved, and replaced the thermometer, noticing that it was almost 11 o'clock.

"Lay next to me, lover," Eric said, eyes still closed but patting the bed next to him.

Well, how could I refuse that? I went to the other side of the bed and crawled in to join him under the covers and rested my head on a pillow. Before I could get situated there, Eric reached over and pulled me towards him and I couldn't help but feel like an oversized teddy bear as he wrapped himself around me, an arm across my waist and a leg across my thigh. Hell, if Eric's presence had such a soothing effect on me as it always does, logically maybe the opposite is true and a teddy bear was JUST what I was. If my mere company could bring him comfort, though, I guess could deal with that.

Leaning my head half on his shoulder, half on his pillow as he spooned me, I slipped off to sleep with my fingers threaded with his.

* * *

**A/N— Thanks for reading!**

**Please leave me a review! They're almost as good as being wrapped up in Viking…. ;)**

* * *


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** They're not mine, but I'm playing with them and you can't stop me.

Spoilers for Books 1-8, No Dead and Gone. Ever. Just kidding, but really, CH? I love you, but can't you give us something a _tad _more satisfying? I guess that's what is for...

* * *

**Another Apologetic, epic-length Author's Note: **

Yeah. Sooo. How have you been? It's been a while…

….. Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! The end of school (teaching) gave way to an intense 6 credit grad school class. So, then, in light of that, where did I get the time to write this, you ask? That's a funny story, my friends.

So, I was playing second base on my husband's accounting firm's coed softball team, waiting for the short stop to throw me the ball to tag the runner out when I was blindsided by a speeding truck, or so it felt like. Turns out, the idiot giant of a man who was running towards second base never got the memo that you don't overrun second base like you do first (I guess "sliding" was a bit beyond his understanding of the game) and therefore continued his forward momentum after tagging the base to slam into me, breaking my collarbone on impact and causing me to fly about 4 feet. What did this man look like? Think a 6'6" The Rock. So….my grad school teacher gave me a week off and since I'm stuck on a couch, I actually had a bit of time on my hands to update my story!

Take pity on me and entertain me with reviews (and don't hate me for my month long hiatus). You know you want to. ;) It's my longest chapter thus far, after all!

* * *

_**In Chapter 12: **_

_**Pam's coming over soon, Eric took a bath and pulled our dear Sookie in with him for about .05 seconds, Sookie helped him dress, accidentally stripped for him, and…**_

"_Lay next to me, lover," Eric said, eyes still closed but patting the bed next to him._

_Well, how could I refuse that? I went to the other side of the bed and crawled in to join him under the covers and rested my head on a pillow. Before I could get situated there, Eric reached over and pulled me towards him and I couldn't help but feel like an oversized teddy bear as he wrapped himself around me, an arm across my waist and a leg across my thigh. Hell, if Eric's presence had such a soothing effect on me as it always does, logically maybe the opposite is true and a teddy bear was JUST what I was. If my mere company could bring him comfort, though, I guess could deal with that. _

_Leaning my head half on his shoulder, half on his pillow as he spooned me, I slipped off to sleep with my fingers threaded with his. _

* * *

**Chapter 13**

I awoke entwined in Eric's heavy limbs to the sound of Eric's phone ringing loudly in my ear. I struggled to sit up, pushing my mess of plentiful hair from my eyes and, glancing over at my companion, noted that Eric still seemed to be sleeping. I thought to myself that he must really be exhausted if he was actually sleeping during the night, especially deeply enough not to be roused by my movements and The Door's _Wild Child_ blaring in his ear (which just made me chuckle—I could just see Eric at Doors concerts way back when…his long hair would've been all the rage!), but I already knew this to be true before making the observation. I reached across him to the night stand to look at the phone's little LCD screen to see who was calling. When I saw it was Pam, I answered.

"Hi Pam, what's up?" I quietly croaked, still groggy from waking up. I stretched in an attempt to wake up and the movement felt so good in my aching muscles that I almost moaned aloud. That'd probably give Pam the wrong idea, huh?

"Sookie, where is Eric?" Pam demanded, concerned. Obviously others don't answer his phone often.

"Um," I whispered, looking down at Eric's peaceful expression as he slept, "he's sleeping. He's really exhausted, Pam."

"I must speak with him."

"You want me to wake him up? Really?" I almost whined, wishing I could just let Eric sleep.

"Yes, Sookie. I have news and I must ask him what he intends me to do with the captive."

"Oh, so you found her?" I asked, feeling a jolt of excitement pass through me.

"Yes, we have. I was instructed to call when we found her. We are on our way back to Bon Temps now." Pam's patience with having to deal with a human "middleman" to get to the head honcho was apparently quickly dwindling by the second.

I sighed. "Ohhh aalllright. Hold on."

I hit the hold button, put the phone down on the bed, and put my hand on Eric's cheek, patting it softly.

"Eric? Eric, honey," _damn it, I did it again!,_ I cringed,"you need to wake up for a minute." He didn't respond at first, but as soon as I started to feel the twangs of panic at his not waking up, his eyelids fluttered and thrust open and he looked around for the source of the danger, clumsily propping himself up on an elbow. He must have felt my panic and assumed we were under attack.

He squinted, bleary eyed, at me. "What has happened?" he asked softly with a rough voice thick with accent.

I relaxed, trying to send soothing feelings to Eric as he has done for me on so many occasions. "I'm sorry I had to wake you up. Pam is on the phone. They found that woman you fed from. They're calling to see what the plan is." I couldn't help the sad tone that my voice bore; he really just needed to sleep—not be the boss-man right now.

Eric groaned quietly and struggled to turn over and sit up. I helped him by arranging the pillows behind his back, then handed him the phone when he held out his hand. I hit the hold button just before relinquishing the phone to him.

"Pam. Give me news," he commanded with a much stronger voice than he spoke with me with just a moment ago. I wondered if he was trying to keep up appearances or if his voice really was stronger after a moment of being awake.

He paused. I watched his face frown in concentration, and then relax.

"Excellent. Bring her here. I will have Sookie disinfect the living room. I'll stay in the bedroom and listen in while you question her. Sookie will read her to derive any information she can."

Eric paused once more, then answered. "Very well. Be safe. See you here in about an hour." He hung up and put his phone on the nightstand.

I glanced at the clock. It was 2:15 am. My eyes met Eric's as I turned in the bed to face him kneeling at eye level.

"How do you feel, Eric? I wanted to let you sleep but Pam wouldn't let me." I tried not to display my pout too obviously.

Eric paused, leaning back against the pillows and closing his eyes. "I'm alarmingly weak," he answered in soft tones again. He was making his voice sound stronger for Pam's sake, I deduced. "Though sleeping did help a bit, I still feel very… ill."

I put a hand very, very gingerly on the side of his stomach, curious to see if it was really just as tender as it was yesterday evening. He grimaced slightly in affirmation. I winced in sympathy and shifted my hand to his forearm instead. Detecting nausea swirling around within his state of being along with tension and weariness, I asked, tentatively, "Do you want another shot of the nausea medication? Dr. Ludwig said you could have up to two per night..."

"I suppose that would be wise," Eric said, keeping his eyes shut and not making contact with mine.

"Okay—I'll get it all ready. Just a second."

I hopped off the bed and scurried around preparing yet another nausea shot for Eric. I was hoping to get Eric to drink another vial of blood—he always seemed to be stronger after he fed, as should logically be the case, and Dr. Ludwig did say to try to get him to feed. I sat on the bed next to him with the syringe and a swab. He obediently sat up and I pushed the sleeve of his tee shirt above his shoulder and swabbed his upper arm. Eric looked away as I quickly thrust the needle in, causing him to jump a little at the impact. I swiftly pushed the medicine in and withdrew the needle. Eric absently brought his other hand up to knead the flesh of his upper arm as I disposed of the needle. I patted his thigh and gave him a small smile when he looked back to me. I knew I'd never get used to the vulnerable look in this vampire's eyes at this very moment, and I never wanted to.

"Hey, don't give me that look. You'll be just fine in a few short days, I _promise_. Hang in there, big guy." And with that, God help me, I placed each of my hands lightly on either side of his face and planted one right on Eric's mouth, which, after a moment, smiled, softened, and (never one to pass up an opportunity) showed that his kissing skill did not fall by the temporary wayside with his strength. My mouth opened slightly at his coaxing and his soft tongue moved in to massage mine in a sweet but controlled rhythm, just as seductive as one of his mind-blowing, tonsil-touching sessions. His large right hand grasped my hip firmly; his thumb caressed my abdomen under the hem of my shirt in a way that sent shivers running straight to my core, though the touch in itself was innocent enough. We pulled away together after a few moments and finished with a chaste peck of the lips, after which I finally got the smile I wanted from my Viking, if with a bit more fang than I'd envisioned. I beamed back, breathing hard, and stroked his cheek with one of my thumbs, a bit lightheaded from the exchange.

Dropping my hands reluctantly as he released my hip, I knew I had to get to work on getting the house ready for Pam. I cleared my throat. "I'm going to go spray everything I can with Lysol. I'll check back in about 20 minutes to see if I can bring you another blood, 'kay?"

Eric nodded silently and sank back into the pillows, closing his eyes but maintaining a satisfied smile as he raised his hands to clasp behind his head. Oh, Eric.

"Thank you for the…pep talk… dear one." Eric opened his eyes after a moment to meet mine, sustaining his pleased expression.

I smiled. "Anytime, Eric."

Eric's smile widened, showing that his fangs had apparently not completely retracted. "I'll hold you to that, you know."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Oh, I'm sure you will." I pulled the comforter up to his chest, patted his pecs briefly, and quickly exited the room with a skip in my step to go clean and disinfect.

I brought him in another warmed vial of blood when he said he was ready 20 minutes later. We relaxed in each other's company on the bed, watching reruns of Planet Earth on the Discovery Channel while we waited for Pam and company. I noted that his color looked much better and he seemed to feel stronger after he fed. I took a brief nap and Eric enjoyed some downtime (though he may have drifted off to sleep too; I had no way of knowing) while we listened to Sigourney Weaver's calming voice give the play by play of animals eating each other. The irony of watching this particular documentary with a vampire, the personal lion to my gazelle, was not lost on me, though I let my quiet amusement lull me to sleep.

An hour and 20 minutes after Pam called, a pounding at the door cut through the silence and startled us from our doze, causing me to jump up out of bed to go answer the door. I raked my fingers through my hair to attempt to smooth the unruly waves (unfortunately unsuccessfully, I suspected) and put on a bra (always a good idea if you're as "blessed" as I am and hoped to get anything accomplished while with company). I checked to make sure Eric was up and ready to listen (he was) and ran out to go answer the door. I left the door open a crack as Eric and I discussed to help him listen in on the interrogation.

Before I just yanked the door open, I glanced through the peephole (hey, I _have _learned a few things in the last few years!) and saw Pam's impatient gaze looking right at me, one eyebrow raised. _Of course she'd have heard me coming and knows exactly what I'm doing, _I thought. I had absolutely no desire to be a vampire, mind you (I love the feel of sunshine on my skin, sans bursting into flame, way too much) but tricks like that, I could admit, were just, well, _cool_.

I pulled the door open.

"Pam, come on in," I greeted her, stepping back and taking in the scene. Pam had a firm hold on the upper arm of a very frightened and haggard-looking Vietnamese girl, and when the door opened Pam quickly glided in. The girl, who I'd estimate to be about 22, tried to move her feet to keep up with Pam's smooth movements but she was being partially dragged and partially lifted off the floor completely, so she wasn't having much luck. Pam didn't look particularly strong or threatening in her lavender and white track suit and her dainty girlish Alice-in-Wonderland look, matching headband and all, but you'd have to be stupid to question that she was. She strode into the living room and stood, effortlessly containing the struggling girl, waiting for me to tell her where to go.

I gave the captive in question the once-over and registered that the poor girl was an absolute mess. She was barefoot and the pajamas she was wearing were dirty and torn, her ripped shirt collar hanging off her slight frame. Her straight black hair was half pulled back, half hanging out of her hair tie at odd angles. I could only deduce from these cues that she must have been pulled violently from her bed. If I were to look past these disturbances in her appearance, however, I could see that she was actually a very nice-looking girl.

I tried really hard to control my jealousy that started to seep through me, telling myself that this girl was just a pretty meal to my sick Viking, but this thought just reminded me that this _bitch_ was the cause of Eric's current state. I thought of her smirking, in my mind, and thinking that she'd pull something over on the sexy blonde vampire, and the protective side of me that had been ever-so-present since I was declared Eric's caretaker surfaced and my vision tinted red. Before I could contemplate the ramifications of my actions, I strode over to where Pam was holding the girl and I slapped her, _hard_, across the face. The girl gaped at me, shocked, and before I could do it again as I was winding up to do, Pam instantly gripped _my_ upper arm with her other hand and whipped me around, flinging me like a rag doll away from her prisoner. I knew I'd have a Pam-shaped bruise on my arm tomorrow, but I quickly came to my senses and realized that I fully deserved it. It served as a splash of cold water to the face.

"Sookie, control yourself! I've spent enough time in the last days controlling human girls fighting to NOT need it from you," Pam scolded in a harsh tone bordering on a growl.

I growled back, though it never had the same impression coming from a human as when it came from a vampire. I just sounded like one of those feral children raised by wolves. Pam smirked at my attempted growl, though whether it was because of the pathetic quality of sound or the fact that I was a human growling to begin with, I didn't have the heart to ask.

I sighed. "You're right, Pam. Sorry," I said resignedly, shaking my head to try to clear the red haze and come back to my senses. Even in my temper-driven state, I knew to be ashamed to be grouped with the ignorant, silver-wearing fangbangers bickering over a cute vampire's attentions.

"Where?" Pam asked, looking around and releasing my arm when she felt that I had control of my mental faculties.

Knowing what she meant, I pointed to the kitchen table and put myself to rights, straightening out my clothes ruffled by the altercation. "Put her there. Eric should be able to hear us in the kitchen, right?"

As I thought of him, I reached out in the bond to make sure that he was awake and alert. The last thing I'd want to explain to Pam is that we had to re-question the girl because her poor, ill, fearless leader had fallen asleep! When he was in his daytime rest, I could feel his presence as sort of a warm humming, the bond comforting me with its company in a way that I'd only recently come to appreciate in ways I never expected when it was first formed under duress in Rhodes. Now, however, I was getting an alert signal from Eric, sparking with anxiety and enthusiasm. _I'll take that as a green light_, I thought, amused at the excitement I detected. I smiled and sent a wave of confidence to Eric before I could control myself. That was only downside to being connected like this before we resolve our little relationship issues; I don't have that necessary filter between what I feel and what gets projected to him, much different from just having a normal conversation with the vampire. I guess this is how humans and shifters feel when they're around me and I pick the thoughts from their brains as soon as they think them, huh?

Before I could feel self-conscious at my unnecessary communication through the bond, though, I was flooded with _… affection?_ I had to repress the big smile that had momentarily lit up my face, as I really had to concentrate on interrogating this girl at the moment, but darn it all if it didn't give this girl a little hop in her step.

Pam studied my face suspiciously, then glanced from the bedroom door, back to me, and smiled her Cheshire cat smile. "Oh yes. He is very old and therefore has very honed skills …hearing happens to be one of them." She winked.

I blinked. _Wait, what was the question again?_ I thought back to my inquiry and her answer and put together that Pam may have been referring to more than just Eric's hearing ability that was _honed_. I groaned. That Pam. _Good grief, these late nights were really starting to take a toll on my ability to concentrate, I swear, _I reflected, chagrined by my late uptake on that last exchange.

Pam dragged the girl by the upper arm to the kitchen table, pulled out a straight back chair with one arm, and flung her into it. Pam's two very capable hands then settled on Giang's shoulders to make sure the girl knew she wasn't going _anywhere_.

I sat across the table from the girl, trying to control the urge to glare at her or slap her again. As it was the girl held the cheek where I had struck her (which had turned an angry red over the last few minutes) with one hand and was eying me as I moved to sit, obviously wary of the possibility of me attacking her again.

_Goddamn it, Sookie_, I scolded myself. _Now she'll be more difficult to read since she's afraid of you._ I scowled at my own loss of self control. _Now I have to make it right._

I met the girl's eyes and in a very calm tone, I spoke. "I'm sorry I slapped you. I will try to control myself better. I promise I will not strike you again. I need to ask you some questions, and to do that I must hold your arm. Will you let me do that?" I asked, working hard to keep anger out of my voice and my expression and instead to speak in dulcet tones. I was trying to make it feel like I was giving her the option to make contact rather than just having Pam secure her arm for me. A relaxed brain would be significantly easier to penetrate than one frenzied with fear.

She continued to look at me but didn't respond by putting her hand out or drawing it away, so I lowered my mental shields to see what she was thinking. I found that she was certainly broadcasting but it was regrettably not English. I was sure it was Vietnamese since this was where the girl had been living until 3 months ago, as Pam had discovered in her research earlier, but this could be a big problem if she didn't understand my questions.

"Do you speak English?" I asked calmly, forcing a smile for the frightened girl and trying my darnedest not to have it make me look even crazier.

She hesitated, nervously glancing up at Pam who had a firm hold on her, then at me. "A... a little," she said in a small voice.

"May I?" I asked as I reached for her hand. A confused expression crossed her face, but she hesitantly complied, extending her hand shyly and allowing me to grasp her arm lightly. When I touched her arm, her fear addled thoughts inundated my own brain though I still could not decipher the language. _I wouldn't be of much use as a telepath in any other non-English speaking country then without significant help from a translator, _I mused, momentarily distracted. Alright, first things first.

"What is your name?" I figured I'd start with the easy questions she'd be sure to understand first.

"G... Giang." She pronounced it "yaahng" through her stammering.

"Okay, Giang. I'm going to ask you some questions. Please try to relax. We won't hurt you."

Pam interrupted. "What she means is that SHE will not hurt you. If you do not comply with her questioning, WE will, I can assure you."

I scowled at Pam. This was not making my job any easier, though I did not think Giang understood my statements or Pam's response anyhow. "Pam, I don't think she speaks much English and she's thinking in what I'm assuming is Vietnamese, so whatever I'm getting from her mind I don't understand. I'll only be able to get pictures from her that will be of any use at this point. We need a way to direct her thoughts to conjure pictures to give us our information."

Pam nodded, paused and seemed to make a decision. Out of the blue, Pam turned to the girl and began to speak to her in Vietnamese.

My shock at Pam's linguistic talent, shown by my mouth hanging open intelligently, was second only to Giang's. The girl's eyes grew wide and she started to tremble and shake her head, her brain flashing through images of several different truly terrifying-looking vampires, fangs descended, leaning in to bite her. The last image, which played out for much longer than the others, shook me and I had to fight to not detach myself from Giang's arm as I gasped. The last image was of Eric, but not _my _Eric. It was an Eric seen through Giang's eyes, moving towards her in what must have been a back room of Fangtasia, and he was truly frightening. As the memory was seen through her eyes, the fear that Giang felt at that time made Eric's gloriously handsome face look distorted and more terrifyingly VAMPIRE than I'd ever seen him in all the time I'd known him. His pupils were dilated and his fangs were fully descended, though much bigger and sharper than I'd ever seen them. I could feel her terror as if it was my own, and it was disconcerting to be experiencing such fright when looking in my mind's eye at an image of some version of Eric. I tried to shift my focus so I could rid her brain, and thereby my brain, of the disturbing image of my Viking and temporarily conjured the image of the smile that was on my sedate vampire's face after our brief lip-lock an hour earlier.

This was a typical occurrence that I've noticed—the image that people remember of those I knew was often a little different based on how they felt about them. I remembered when the fangbanger waitress Brittany in Dallas had pictured the bouncer of The Bat's Wing, Rebar, he looked much slimmer and more muscular with more attractive facial features because she had feelings for him. When the real thing had walked in minutes later, although he was still recognizable, the difference between her mental image and Rebar himself was glaring. On a similar note, I often saw god-like images of my brother, Jason, in the minds of women in Merlotte's who had secret crushes on him. This was the opposite reaction, but alike in cause.

"I just saw several images of vampires about to feed… including Eric." I shuddered slightly. "What'd you ask her?"

Pam narrowed her eyes slightly and looked down to the girl shaking slightly under her hands. "I asked her if she was paid to allow vampires to bite her. If you saw a whole variety of vampires' images scrolling through her mind, it may mean that she is a vampire prostitute…" Pam paused to surveying me briefly. "I assure you, Sookie, Eric did not pay to bite her."

I nodded, sure Pam was speaking the truth. I have been to Fangtasia, after all, and I'm no fool (well, not usually). Why would he pay to bite someone when he had fangbangers literally throwing themselves at him on a daily basis? Even so, it was nice that Pam felt it was necessary to reiterate that fact to me.

"But… well, they didn't exactly seem like willing, happy memories… all the images were colored with, well, pretty much abject fear."

Pam shrugged, unconcerned. "Perhaps the money she makes doesn't all go to her. No matter. I will ask her who paid her the large sum of money last week."

Pam turned back to the girl, who had not actually responded to Pam's first question but was silently shaking in her pajamas, and spoke to her again, assumedly asking her intended question. After an influx of more Vietnamese internal dialogue from Giang, I saw a vision of an illegibly-signed check for $10,000 in her small hand, though no name or face was associated with the memory. There seemed to be a fuzziness in her memory regarding any identity connected with the check.

"I see the check!" I blurted out when I saw the image, "…but no readable name. Ask her who gave her the check."

Pam spoke again, though what exactly she said, I couldn't tell you. The girl once again just shook her head. Pam grabbed the girl's hair and yanked it back, forcing Giang's head back and to the side, exposing her neck, jugular vein pulsing at the ready. Pam leaned her head towards the girl and spoke in a low voice, fangs descended and a growl entering her tone. Even I felt a little shiver run up my spine at that, and I would consider Pam to be one of my good friends, so I understood the cause the terror Giang was projecting. I knew Pam wouldn't bite her since she was infected with the bacterium and Pam was nobody's fool, but Giang didn't know that, I didn't think. Suddenly a vision of Victor Madden popped in her head, plain as day, as though it had been trying to fight through some invisible restraint.

"I just saw Victor Madden! What'd you ask her?!" I shouted excitedly. Instantly I felt a surge of anger through my bond, which I had temporarily forgotten about in all the excitement that the wave actually made me gasp.

Pam growled at the implications before answering and loosened her hold on the girl's hair. She stared, unblinkingly, at her captive, then met my intent gaze. "I asked her who ordered her to be at Fangtasia last week." Pam paused and ceased movement, apparently deep in thought. I sat silently, figuring I'd just let Pam's significantly less sleep-deprived and therefore currently infinitely-sharper brain have at it.

Pam reanimated. "I am wondering why Victor didn't glamour the image of him out of her. He must have suspected that you might be used to question her if we traced her. Most of the vampires of consequence in America, let alone in Louisiana and Nevada, are aware to some degree of your ability and your connection with Eric and Area 5."

I ignored the implications of my apparent fame among the entire American vampire population temporarily to ponder Pam's thought. This question in some way fit in with a point I had been mulling over during Pam's private reverie. The extreme fear this girl felt for all of the vampires she had been with had stuck in my craw for some reason. It was unusual to find such terror in fangbangers—usually they had such rosy internal images of the vampires they had been with in one capacity or other. Why? Because vampires usually…

"Pam! I think her brain might be resistant to glamouring!" I exclaimed, excited that I was almost positive I solved that particular enigma. I continued, "She's not completely immune like me, because it took a few different questions to get around the hole in her mind that must have been put there by Victor, but his face was still there, buried deep." Pam looked at the girl questioningly, but the more I thought about it, the more it explained.

"When you and Eric and the rest of the vampires at Fangtasia feed, don't you usually glamour the fangbangers so they're not afraid when you… you know... go in for the kill, so to speak?"

Pam looked confused. "Sookie, we don't usually kill the fangbangers we feed on. That would be bad for business." She didn't seem to realize she still had hold of Giang's hair, holding her neck at a slightly awkward angle.

"Pam," I said, clearing my throat and pointing this out. She quickly let go of the girl's hair and placed it back on her shoulder. I continued. "Yeah, I know, I mean when you go to feed from them. You usually glamour them so they're not afraid, right? And sometimes so that they actually _like _it?"

"Well, yes. That way they don't struggle, in addition to the fact that they might come back in the future and they won't deter others from allowing us to feed from them," Pam agreed matter-of-factly. "Plus, if they're relaxed, they _participate_ more," Pam half-smiled, apparently reminiscing. Oh, ugh. Thanks a lot, Pam. At that moment, I was exceedingly thankful that I could NOT read vamp minds further than the (super-secret) flash every once in a while.

I took a deep breath and tried to see past the mindset. _They're just predators doing what they need to do to survive, Sookie. You knew this about them…intimately, _I rationalized. These moments just served as little reminders that as much as vampires can LOOK human and occasionally ACT human, they are not, in reality, human.

I released a gust of breath. "Well, anyway, her memories of the vampires that fed from her were all surrounded by fear. Terror, actually. I bet she's resistant to it and Victor didn't even know," I said, looking at the girl again, who now sported a few tear tracks marking her otherwise pretty face. With this newfound idea in mind, as if I didn't have enough on my plate, I now felt absolute pity for the girl and that compounded the anger I felt at myself for striking her. _How could she have gotten into this line of work? _I wondered.

"Pam, ask her what her orders were for when she went to Fangtasia."

Pam nodded and spoke to the girl again. The girl looked at me, then back to Pam and responded in a much longer answer than I had expected. Pam's mouth drew in a line in distaste. She asked another few questions, getting more answers, and then turned to me, scowling.

"She said she was ordered to 'look sexy' and 'make the tall blonde vampire want her'. She was given a large sum of money, but was not told why Victor wanted HER to do it. She had only been in the country for a short amount of time, but her cousin had taken her to a vampire bar in New Orleans the previous week and set her up with another vampire. She thought that might be why. I believe her cousin was acting as her…" she paused, thinking. "'Pimp'… of sorts," Pam finished.

"Hmm. Maybe the vampire who fed from her the week before had fallen ill and Victor found out about it since he's been living in Sophie-Anne's residence in New Orleans?" I thought aloud, and then the puzzle pieces fell together. The proverbial light bulb had flashed above my head.

"Pam! I bet he heard about the sick vampire, made the sick vampire tell him enough so Victor could piece together the source of the illness, and tracked her to Alexandria. I bet he was looking for a way to weaken Eric and this solution fell right in his lap!" I beamed at Pam as I felt my heart racing in excitement at the revelation. I could feel a dull rage through the bond which confirmed that I had at least one vampire in agreement.

Not as quick to excite, Pam nodded her head. "I think you're correct, Sookie. We know for certain that Victor is behind this, though, which is the main information we need to be sure of before we contact the king with this concern, but the details will help act as… corroborating evidence," Pam said, if a bit mechanically. Could it be that Pam has developed a closet affinity for Law and Order?

Pam dragged the girl up and out of her seat by her upper arm, reached into her own pocket with the other hand, flipped open her phone with a flick of her thumb and pressed a speed dial button.

"Master. Did you hear?" She paused. I could faintly hear Eric's deep voice talking in the bedroom.

"Yes, very interesting. What shall I do with the whore?" She paused again.

"Very well. It shall be done. Rest well. Be safe—I am concerned about Victor attacking here soon." Pam's gaze flickered over to me and I believe she said this aloud as much to put me on my guard as Eric. She must know that Eric might not tell me everything that was going on. _She knows her master well, apparently_, I thought with slight irritation.

"No, I have told him you are away on vacation, but he eventually may check here anyhow. The wards are still in place, but there may be ways around them." She paused again.

"Alright. I must go secure the girl and go to ground. Dawn is soon." Pam flipped her phone closed after a pause and gave a small bow towards the bedroom, though Eric had no way of seeing her unless he developed X-ray vision in the last 24 hours (and I sincerely hoped he did not since I can't imagine he'd employ Superman's morality and only use it to rid the world of evil…). My gaze drifted to the clock in the kitchen. It was 4:34 am. Pam was right—she had to go quickly if she wanted to make it back.

"Sookie, we must leave. Thank you for your help. Be on your guard tomorrow."

I nodded. "What will you do with her?" I asked hesitantly, gesturing towards Giang. She knew my code was not to hurt humans found guilty by my gift, and I felt an odd sense of pity for this girl. She did not know she carried an illness and was, after all, just being used by the vampires as I often felt I was.

Pam sighed, clearly exasperated by my attitude. "Sookie, you need to get past your little moral rules. Her fate is yet to be determined." Her tone implied '_Deal with it.' _

I scowled in response. "Pam, it's not a terrible thing to have morals, you know. Just promise me you won't hurt her if you can avoid it, please? She didn't know what she was doing and didn't seem to have a whole lot of choice in the matter."

Pam looked momentarily put out at the request, but then it quickly faded and a flicker of amusement crossed her face.

"What's so amusing, Pam?" I asked, irritated to be apparently left out of the joke. She beamed all the more at my irritation.

"Oh, nothing, my dear Sookie. It just gives me ENDLESS enjoyment to see a human such as yourself be the one my master falls for." Her chuckle lightened the mood and Giang looked up at her as though she thought Pam had gone nuts.

My lips had turned up in a grin at Pam's sentiment also. While I'd love to dwell on the issue of Eric _falling _for me and gleaning as much information as I could from Pam on said topic, I decided that now was neither the time nor the place to discuss such matters, especially while Eric was in the next room in listening distance. "Oh Pam. Get out of here so you have enough time to get to ground safely. Thalia will kill me if I keep you from taking her back to Shreveport in time."

"Sookie, it's always a _pleasure. _I shall be in contact tomorrow night." Pam turned and, seemingly forgetting she was toting a very human woman, walked quickly out of the room and through the open door, dragging Giang behind her by one arm like a little girl sometimes drags an oversized doll.

I shook my head and went over to the front door to shut and lock it behind them. I waltzed into the bedroom to find Eric already on his phone, a hand up indicating I should be quiet.

"Yes," he said, using his firm, commanding voice. "Sookie and Pam just questioned her. Her thoughts identified Victor to be the source of the vast sum of money, $10,000, that appeared in her bank statements at the end of last week. She confessed to Pam that Victor's instructions were to look sexy to entice the tall, blonde-haired vampire, meaning myself, of course, to feed from her. Victor then sought to force me to feed at the very moment she was groveling at my feet by drawing attention to her in a rather… public manner difficult to refuse." Eric paused again.

"Your majesty, I am not positive he wants me out of the way, but I am concerned for the safety of my cohorts in Fangtasia and for myself while I am weakened over the next few days. I have heard murmurings from other sheriffs that he has been attempting to intimidate them as well. I, of course, could have taken him out myself, but I did not want to move against you and your people, my King. I have no higher aspirations of power but I felt you may have suspected as such if I did so. I fear that he is moving to betray you to claim Louisiana for himself, but that is just speculation at this point. This is the main reason why I called tonight. I wanted you to know of possible betrayal in your ranks."

I put together that Eric was on the phone with Felipe de Castro explaining the situation with Victor Madden. He could kiss ass with the best of 'em, apparently.

After a few moments, Eric spoke again. "I find myself weakened, but am stronger every day. I will be back to my full strength 3 days at most. Thank you for your concern, my King," Eric said, his face showing a look of distaste which betrayed his true feelings.

Suddenly shock pervaded his facial expression and I could feel a nervousness permeate the bond. The feeling sparked fear in me; Eric is so rarely surprised. Shock morphed to a resigned displeasure and settled. The knot in my stomach loosened slightly.

"Yes, your majesty. I am with Miss Stackhouse. She has come to my aid in my state as I am contagious to vampires but not to humans except in the event of a blood exchange."

Irritation quickly surpassed resignation. "Yes, very amusing, my King. I am quite aware of the irony of the situation, thank you." Well now I was just plain curious since I was obviously the focus of this new branch of conversation. Hopefully Eric would share later. I crossed my arms and leaned against the dresser to wait.

Eric closed his eyes and responded again softly. "Yes, I am at her house. Your majesty, please keep this information confidential. I do not want Sookie to be in danger for her willingness to come to my aid, and I will admit, out of concern for my immortality and Sookie's mortality, I'd prefer not to have to do battle in a weakened state." Eric's eyes remained closed, exhaustion radiating from him. I desperately hoped this conversation could end soon so he could rest. I could tell his confession of weakness and dependence on a human cost Eric a piece of his pride with respect to the new king. I hoped it was worth it.

All of a sudden, Eric looked much closer to his age as I've ever seen. I moved closer and sat lightly on the bed, putting my hand on the comforter over his knee and rubbing slightly as a show of moral support.

"I thank you for your confidentiality. If there's anything I can do to help you with this matter after I am well, please contact me. Dawn, however, is approaching soon on the east coast and I must go to ground." I knew that even though Eric had told the king where he would be spending his nights, his daytime resting place is a whole different secret all together. I patted Eric's knee absently while pondering this.

"Good day, your majesty." Eric disconnected, closed his eyes once again and leaned back on the pillows, placing his phone on the nightstand without looking. He picked up my hand off his knee and held it in his own with a gentle but firm grasp.

I glanced at the clock, which now read 5:00am. The sun would be rising in about an hour.

"Eric? Can I get you the last vial of blood? It might help you to heal while you're resting if you feed before dawn?" I asked hopefully.

Eric exhaled an unnecessary breath, half opening his eyes. "Yes, Sookie. No matter that I'm not entirely thirsty—I should feed. Thank you."

I took my hand from his grasp and squeezed one of his hands gently before I ran into the kitchen. I returned with the warmed blood and handed it to him with a smile. He met my gaze and one side of his mouth twitched upwards in response to my smile. I guess that's all I could hope for. When I'm sick, I don't feel cheerful either, and I could tell he was both weak and concerned through our connection. I sat beside him in my own downtime while Eric finished his meal and when he was done, I held my hand out for the glass and he handed it to me. I took it and the other glasses that had built up around the room into the kitchen, quickly filling them with soap and water to wash later.

I returned, locked the bedroom door, fastened the curtains behind me, took off my bra with a sigh of relief, stuffed it in my hamper, and sat back down on the side of the bed. I had almost crawled in and passed out, but remembered Eric and I both needed to take our second dose of antibiotics. After I gulped mine down with some of the bottled water I brought in that afternoon, I prepared another syringe and turned. Eric had seen me starting to set it up so he moved himself onto his stomach and closed his eyes. He didn't even react in the slightest as I drew the blankets down and administered the shot, attesting to how tired he was. I disposed of the needle, walked around to the other side of the bed, and sluggishly crawled in, inordinately excited to be getting into bed for the night. I was really and truly running on fumes at 5:15 am. Eric once more pulled me towards him and I regained my role as teddy bear which was A-okay by me. His one muscular arm curled upward across my chest and rested on my top shoulder and the other was slung down across my hip and rested on my abdomen. Though our bodies were close and the position was intimate, there was nothing sexual about it. It was nice to be able to be held by a man for more than just sex.

I stroked the top of his hand that was resting on my stomach and a question I had earlier popped back into my head.

"Eric?"

"Yes, Sookie?" he responded softly, his breath caressing my neck, causing delicious goosebumps to spread up my arms.

"What did Felipe say was 'ironic' and 'amusing' as he put it?"

Eric huffed, embarrassment and irritation flaring across the bond. "Of course you'd pick up on that." Eric sighed then. "He so astutely pointed out that for a human girl, you have a knack of being in the position to see powerful vampires in compromising situations and coming to their aid. He is still impressed with your little car stunt that saved the two of us and your shifter boss from the cruel hands of Siegebert."

"Well that's good, right? If he's impressed he'll be more likely to try to keep me alive?" I said optimistically.

"Yes, lover. That's good, I suppose. Embarrassing for us, and especially for myself since I find myself relying on you more than I care to admit, but good for you."

There's that damn wounded pride again. I struggled a bit, but managed to turn around in his firm grasp so I could look at him. We were very close, and I had trouble keeping my feelings from turning to those of desire and lust. Eric's tired and grim expression helped.

"Eric. Please, please try to remind yourself of all the bullets you've taken for me and all the times you've saved my life, huh?" Eric diverted his gaze. I took a deep breath, because I didn't really want to go down this road yet, but I decided I'd go for it since I didn't know what tomorrow would bring.

"Eric, I don't want to hash this out now, but I have a question for you."

Eric looked down at my face cautiously. "Yes?"

"Why did you ask me to dinner Saturday night?" I held my breath to hear his answer.

Eric shifted in our embrace and focused on me with a stronger look of desire. "I was planning on…. courting you, I suppose is the phrase. I want you to be mine and only mine. No damn tiger, no Compton, no fucking shifter. _Mine_."

My heart leapt and tightened at the same time at his words. On the one hand, Eric _wanted _me. I would deal with the whole "mine" thing at another time. I mean, it was like all these vampires took a page from those sea gulls in 'Finding Nemo' fighting over food with their cries of "Mine! Mine! Mine!" I knew it was just part of their vampire culture and that if I wanted a relationship with a vampire, I'd have to deal with eventually. I cleared my throat and looked past it.

"Well, if that's true, and if we're going to have some kind of relationship, there's going to have to be a give and take. You're not always going to be the big powerful vampire, and I'm not always going to be the damsel in distress. Healthy relationships have to have balance, right?"

His jaw clenched in response.

"Well, they do. Keep that in mind. So try not to berate yourself for showing weakness to me, will you? It just will make me appreciate how strong you are 99% of the time, and it will show you that you can rely on me like I can rely on you. Like you said in the car all that time ago, we WILL have this conversation, but not when you're sick, the sun is about to rise, and I'm about to pass out. Concentrate on getting better and try not to let your pride get the better of you." His eyes met mine, but before he could respond, I brushed my lips against his and turned over, reaching to turn off the bedside light and resumed the spooning position.

"Thank you, Sookie," Eric whispered, tightening his arms around me briefly before relaxing into a casual embrace.

"You're very welcome, Eric," I said, smiling to myself and hoping my message got through that thick skull of his.

Something in me relaxed and I think that feeling was mutual. I felt a mild contentment swelling through the bond and I patted myself on the back for my eloquence in the light of the fact that it was such an obscene hour of the morning and that I was currently running only on vapors. My fingers laced with Eric's on my stomach once more and I drifted off to sleep, thinking that this seemed to be a routine that I could _definitely _live with.

* * *

**End Note:**

Awww. I always seem to end chapters with them falling asleep cuddling, but I prefer to do that rather than leave you guys off with cliffhangers!

I'll do my best to have another chapter up in less time than it took me to put together this one! Sorry in advance for any delay though… I have to go back to grad school tomorrow!

Please leave me a review! They're almost as good as improving a vulnerable Viking's mood the old-fashioned way!

* * *


End file.
